Method for providing assistance in making change decisions in a configurable managed environment

Abstract

A method is provided for assigning weights to CIs in a configurable managed system, wherein respective weights are derived from information contained in an associated CMDB. The information could include without limitation the relationships that a CI has with other CIs and the number of reads and writes that are made between the CI and other CIs. A Change Manager in the configurable system makes changes affecting CIs, wherein different types of changes require different levels of confidence in the integrity of data in the CMDB. Accordingly, the weights of respective CIs are used to provide a confidence level regarding the accuracy of CMDB data, pertinent to a proposed change. The confidence level is then used by the Change Manager in deciding whether or not to make the change. One embodiment comprises acquiring information from the CMDB pertaining to CIs that would be affected by a particular change, and processing the acquired information to compute a confidence level indicating the probability that the acquired information is correct. The particular change is then allowed only if the confidence level is no less than a pre-specified minimum value.

1 . In association with a CMDB containing information that relates to configuration items (CIs) in a configurable managed system, wherein a change station is provided to make respective changes, a method for determining whether to allow a particular change that would affect at least one of the CIs, said method comprising the steps of:
 acquiring information from said CMDB pertaining to CIs that would be affected by said particular change;   processing said acquired information to compute a confidence level indicating the probability that said acquired information is correct; and   allowing said particular change to be made in said configurable system only if said confidence level is no less than a pre-specified minimum value.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said acquiring step includes identifying CIs that would be affected by said particular change.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 said method includes assigning weights to respective identified CIs, wherein the weight assigned to a given CI represents the probable accuracy of information acquired from said CMDB that pertains to said given CI.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 said assigned CI weights are respectively processed to compute said confidence level.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the weight of said given CI is derived at least in part from the number of relationships said given CI has with other CIs in said system.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the weight of said given CI is derived at least in part from the number of reads made from said given CI by other CIs, from the number of writes made to said given CI from other CIs, or from the time of the most recent synchronization of said given CI with said CMDB, selectively.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 said confidence level is determined by averaging said weights.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 said confidence level is determined by selecting data associated with the CI having the highest assigned weight.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said method includes generating a table that lists a number of specified changes that could be made to said system, and that further lists the minimum confidence level values that are needed to allow respective specified changes to be made.   
   
   
       10 . In association with a CMDB containing information that relates to configuration items (CIs) in a configurable managed system, wherein a change station is provided to make respective changes, a computer program product in a computer readable medium for determining whether to allow a particular change that would affect at least one of the CIs, said computer program product comprising:
 first instructions for acquiring information from said CMDB pertaining to CIs that would be affected by said particular change;   second instructions for processing said acquired information to compute a confidence level indicating the probability that said acquired information is correct; and   third instructions for allowing said particular change to be made in said configurable system only if said confidential level is no less than a pre-specified minimum value.   
   
   
       11 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein:
 fourth instructions are provided for identifying CIs that would be affected by said particular change.   
   
   
       12 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein:
 fifth instructions are provided for assigning weights to respective identified CIs, wherein the weight assigned to a given CI represents the probable accuracy of information acquired from said CMDB that pertains to said given CI.   
   
   
       13 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the product is transmitted over a communications link.   
   
   
       14 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the weight of said given CI is derived at least in part from the number of relationships said given CI has with other CIs in said configurable system, from the number of writes made to said given CI from other CIs, and from the number of reads made from said given CI by other CIs, selectively.   
   
   
       15 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the weight of said given CI is derived at least in part from the time of the most recent synchronization of said given CI with said CMDB.   
   
   
       16 . In a configurable managed system, provided with configuration items (CI) and with a change station adapted to make respective changes, apparatus for determining whether to allow a particular change that would affect at least one of the CIs, said apparatus comprising:
 a CMDB containing information that relates to configuration items (CIs);   a device for acquiring information from said CMDB pertaining to CIs that would be affected by said particular change;   a device for processing said acquired information to compute a confidence level indicating the probability that said acquired information is correct; and   a comparator device for allowing said particular change to be made in said configurable system only if said confidential level is no less than a pre-specified minimum value.   
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein:
 said acquiring device is adapted to identify CIs that would be affected by said particular change.   
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein:
 said processing device assigns weights to respective identified CIs, wherein the weight assigned to a given CI represents the probable accuracy of information acquired from said CMDB that pertains to said given CI.   
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein:
 said processing device processes respective assigned weights to compute said confidence level.   
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein:
 said apparatus includes means for generating a table that lists a number of specified changes that could be made to said system, and that further lists the minimum confidence level values that are needed to allow respective specified changes to be made.