Configure change and activity management in Service Manager

As part of your initial configuration of Service Manager, you've to configure settings and workflows for change and activity management. Create a change request template that you can use later when new change requests are submitted.

Configure workflows to automatically close completed change requests and send notifications to users when activities require approval. Workflows automate processes that you can use to automatically apply templates and send notifications.

A change request template is useful when you create a change request for a recurring type of issue because you can set an issue category and define a standard priority, effect, and risk level for it in the template. You can also create additional templates for other types of recurring change requests. Another benefit of creating a change request template is that users spend less time when they submit new change requests.

Create change request templates

Use the following procedures to create two change request templates and then validate them. The first template is used to create change requests to modify Microsoft Exchange Server infrastructure. The second template is used to automatically change the priority of a standard change request to Low.

Change request templates store commonly used settings and apply the information to new change requests. For example, you can create a change request template that includes many activities. However, activities that you want to include in a change request template must have been previously created as activity templates.

Note

When you create a change request template, don't create links to configuration items or work items, and don't enter any user information. If you create a template with these objects, you can't remove them, and you'll have to recreate the template.

Create a messaging change request template

1. In the Service Manager console, select Library.
2. In the Library pane, select Templates.
3. In the Tasks pane, under Templates, select Create Template.
4. In the Create Template dialog, enter a name for the template in the Name box. For example, enter Changes to Messaging Infrastructure Template.
5. In the Description box, enter a description for the template. For example, enter Use this change template when you want to modify the messaging infrastructure.
6. Select Browse to select a class.
7. In the Select a Class dialog, select Change Request, and select OK.
8. In the Create Template dialog, under Management pack, select Service Manager Change Management Configuration Library, and select OK.
9. In the Change Request Template form, on the General tab, in the Description box, enter a description for the change. For example, enter Use when modifying the Exchange Server software infrastructure.
10. In the Area box, select the area that is affected by the change request. For example, expand Hardware, and then select Server.
11. In the Priority box, select a value. For example, select High.
12. In the Impact box, select a value. For example, select Standard.
13. In the Risk box, select a value. For example, select Medium.
14. Select the Activities tab, and select Add.
15. In the Templates list, select Default Review Activity, and select OK to open the review activity form.
16. In the Title box, enter a name for the review activity. For example, enter Messaging Infrastructure Request Approval. Select Add to add the user or group that will normally approve the change request.
17. In each open form or dialog, select OK.

Create a priority-modifying template

1. In the Service Manager console, select Library.
2. In the Library pane, select Templates.
3. In the Tasks pane, select Create Template under Templates.
4. In the Create Template dialog, enter a name for the template in the Name box. For example, enter Set Standard Change Requests to Low Priority.
5. In the Description box, enter a description for the template. For example, enter Use this change template to automatically set the priority for standard change requests to Low.
6. Select Browse to add a class.
7. In the Choose Class dialog, select Change Request, and select OK.
8. In the Create Template dialog, under Management pack, select Service Manager Change Management Configuration Library, and select OK.
9. In the Change Request Template form, on the General tab, in the Priority list, select Low.
10. Select OK.

Validate template creation

• Verify that the new templates were created. For example, verify that Changes to Messaging Infrastructure Template and Set Standard Change Requests to Low Priority appear in the Templates view. You might have to press F5 to make the new change templates appear.

Create a manual activity template

Use the following procedures to create a manual activity template and then validate it. Manual activity templates help ensure that all manual activities are assigned to the person who is the activity implementer. After you create the manual activity template, you create a workflow that applies the template. For more information about how to create a workflow, see How to Configure Incident Workflows.

In the following procedure, you will create a manual activity template named Set named user as the Activity Implementer. This manual activity template is used in the How to Configure Activity Management Workflows procedure.

Create a manual activity template

1. In the Service Manager console, select Library.
2. In the Library pane, select Templates.
3. In the Tasks pane, in the Templates area, select Create Template.
4. In the Create Template dialog, in the Name box, enter a name for the template. For example, enter Set named users as the Activity Implementer.
5. In the Description box, enter a description for the template.
6. Select Browse to choose a class.
7. In the Choose Class dialog, select Manual Activity, and select OK.
8. In the Create Template dialog, under Management pack, select Service Manager Activity Management Configuration Library, and select OK.
9. In the Manual Activity Template form, on the General tab, select the ellipsis button (...) next to Activity Implementer, select a user, and select OK.

Validate that the template was created

• In the Templates view, verify that the new template was created. You might have to press F5 to make the new manual activity template appear.

Configure general change settings

Use the following procedures to configure settings to specify change request prefixes and to define change request file attachment limits and then validate the settings.

Note

Revising the change request prefix doesn't affect existing change requests.

To configure general change settings, follow these steps:

1. In the Service Manager console, select Administration.
2. In the Administration pane, expand Administration, and select Settings.
3. In the Settings pane, select Change Request Settings.
4. In the Tasks pane, in the Change Request Settings area, select Properties.
5. In the Change Request Settings dialog, you can make the following changes:
   • If you want to change the prefix code, change the default value in the Change Request ID prefix box.
   • If you want to change the maximum number of files that you can attach to a change request, change the default value in the Maximum number of attached files box. For example, enter 2.
   • If you want to change the maximum size of files that you attach to a change request, change the default value in the Maximum size (KB) box. For example, enter 300.
6. Select OK to close the Change Request Settings dialog.

Validate change settings

1. To validate changes to the prefix code, create a new change request, and verify that the change request IDs have the prefix that you specified.
2. To validate changes to the attachment settings, open a change request, and attempt to add a file attachment that violates the settings that you specified.

Configure general activity settings

Use the following procedure to configure settings to specify activity prefixes when you view activity records. You can then validate the settings. You can define these activity settings in the administrative area of the Service Manager console.

Note

Revising the activity request prefix doesn't affect the existing activity records.

Configure general activity settings

1. In the Service Manager console, select Administration.
2. In the Administration pane, expand Administration, and select Settings.
3. In the Settings pane, select Activity Settings.
4. In the Tasks pane, in the Activity Settings area, select Properties.
5. In the Activity Settings dialog, you can make the following changes:
   • If you want to change the activity prefix code, change the default value in the Activity prefix box. For example, change the value to AA.
   • If you want to change the manual activity prefix code, change the default value in the Manual activity prefix box. For example, change the value to AM.
   • If you want to change the review activity prefix code, change the default value in the Review activity prefix box. For example, change the value to AR.
6. Select OK to close the Activity Settings dialog.

Validate activity setting changes

• To validate changes to any prefix code, create a new change request, and then verify on the Activities tab that the activities have the new prefix that you specified.

Configure change management workflows

Use the following procedures to set the priority of all standard change requests and then validate the change. For example, you can set the priority of all the standard change requests to low. In this procedure, you create a new workflow to automate the process.

Before you can complete the steps in the following procedures, you've to create the following templates:

• Set Standard Change Requests to Low Priority: For more information, see the procedure To create a priority-modifying template in How to Create Change Request Templates.
• New Standard Change Request Received Template: For more information, see the procedure To create a notification template for change requests in How to Create Notification Templates.

Create a workflow to set all standard change requests to low

1. In the Service Manager console, select Administration.
2. In the Administration pane, expand Administration, expand Workflows, and select Configuration.
3. In the Configuration pane, select Change Request Event Workflow Configuration.
4. In the Tasks pane, in the Change Request Event Workflow Configuration area, select Configure Workflow Rules.
5. In the Configure Workflows dialog, select Add.
6. On the Before You Begin page of the Configure Workflows for Objects of Class Change Request Wizard, select Next.
7. On the Workflow Information page, in the Name box, enter a name for the workflow. For example, enter Set Standard Change Request to Low Priority workflow.
8. Optionally, in the Description box, you can enter a description of the new workflow. For example, you can enter This workflow automatically sets the priority of a standard change request to low.
9. In the Check for events list, select When an object is created.
10. Ensure that the Enabled checkbox is selected, and select Next.
11. On the Specify Criteria page, on the Changed To tab, in the Related classes list, select Change Request.
12. In the Available properties list, select Category, and select Add. In the Criteria area, next to the equals box, select Standard, and select Next.
13. On the Apply Template page, select the Apply the selected template checkbox.
14. In the Templates list, select Set Standard Change Requests to Low Priority, and select Next.
15. On the Select People to Notify page, select the Enable notification checkbox.
16. Under User, select Created By User, and under Template, select New Standard Change Request Received Template, and select Add.
17. Select Next.
18. On the Summary page, select Create.
19. On the Completion page, select Close.
20. In the Configure Workflows dialog, select OK.

Validate workflow creation

1. In the Configuration pane, select the Change Request Event Workflow Configuration template.
2. In the Tasks pane, select Configure Workflow Rules.
3. In the Configure Workflows dialog, the Set Standard Change Request to Low Priority workflow workflow should appear.
4. Optionally, you can create a new change request by using the Standard Change Request template to verify that the priority of new requests is set to Low.
5. Notification email is sent to the user who created the change request.

Configure activity management workflows

Use the following procedures to automatically assign all unassigned manual activities to a named user and then validate the creation of workflow.

Before you can complete the steps in the following procedures, you've to create the following templates:

• Set named user as the Activity Implementer: For more information, see How to Create a Manual Activity Template.
• New Activity Assigned Received Template: For more information, see How to Create Notification Templates.

The new workflow you're about to create applies the Set named user as the Activity Implementer template, which assigns the named user to all the activities that don't have a designated activity implementer. The New Activity Assigned Received Template sends notification to a user if the email notification channel is configured.

Create an activity management workflow

1. In the Service Manager console, select Administration.
2. In the Administration pane, expand Administration, expand Workflows, and select Configuration.
3. In the Configuration pane, select Activity Event Workflow Configuration.
4. In the Tasks pane, in the Activity Event Workflow Configuration area, select Configure Workflow Rules.
5. In the Select a Class dialog, in the Name list, select Manual Activity, and select OK.
6. In the Configure Workflows dialog, select Add.
7. On the Before You Begin page of the Configure workflows for objects of class Manual Activity wizard, select Next.
8. On the Workflow Information page, in the Name box, enter a name for the workflow. For example, enter Assign Unassigned Activities to named user.
9. Optionally, in the Description box, you can type a description of the new workflow. For example, you can type This workflow automatically assigns unassigned manual activities to the named user.
10. In the Check for events list, select When an object is created.
11. Ensure that the Enabled checkbox is selected, and select Next.
12. On the Specify Criteria page, on the Changed to tab, in the Related classes list, select Manual Activity.
13. In the Available properties list, select the Stage checkbox, and select Add.
14. In the Criteria area, next to the [Activity] Stage box, select equals, select Approve for the value, and select Next.
15. On the Apply Template page, ensure that the Apply the selected template checkbox is selected.
16. In the Templates list, select Set named users as the Activity Implementer, and select Next.
17. On the Select People to Notify page, select the Enable notification checkbox.
18. In the User list, select Assigned to User.
19. In the Message template list, select New Activity Assigned Received Template, select Add, and select Next.
20. On the Summary page, select Create.
21. On the Completion page, select Close.
22. In the Configure Workflows dialog, select OK to close it.

Validate workflow creation

1. In the Administration pane, expand Administration, expand Workflows, and select Status.
2. In the Status pane, verify that the new workflow template titled Assign Unassigned Activities to the named user is listed.

Next steps

Configure settings and workflows for release management.