 
Overview
The objective of the change management process is to introduce change into the
IT environment (in this case with database environment) quickly and with
minimal disruption to service. Change management is responsible for changes in
technology, systems, applications, hardware, tools, documentation, and
processes, as well as changes in roles and responsibilities. Change management
is charged with providing prompt and efficient handling of any request for
change (RFC).
A key goal of the change management process is to ensure that all parties
affected by a given change are aware of and understand the impact of the
impending change. Since most systems are heavily interrelated, any change made
in one part of a system may have profound impacts on another. Change management
attempts to identify all affected systems and processes before the change is
implemented in order to mitigate or eliminate any adverse effects.
Why do you need it?
At SQLSquare, we realize the approach to making changes to a production database
environment does not always follow a standard process, it is just done.
Unfortunately, well established processes and procedures are not taken into
consideration for various reasons:
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your shop is too small
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only have one or two DBAs
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change management slows the development process
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the DBA knows everything about the system and can quickly fix it
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can't get buy-in from other groups
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too difficult to document the process
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takes too much time to implement
No matter how small or how large the environment, having a process that
documents, tests and allows for the back out of changes is critical for any
size environment.
Our Services
SQLSquare can put together a process that works for your environment which does
not hinder the development process and allows for quick and thorough back out
of changes using the following techniques:
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Standardized change management documentation procedures
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A plan to separate Development, Test and Production environments
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Centralized documentation
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Scripting techniques to implement changes and reduced usage of GUI
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Methodology for auditing success or failure of changes
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Standardized approach for writing script files and batch files for
implementations
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Procedures to back out database object and data changes
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Object auditing (who & when)
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Tools to assist change management process
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Alerts to identify when unauthorized objects are created
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Security audits and tightening security holes
Key Benefits
The most tangible ROI is reducing downtime of your production servers. You can
actually calculate the cost of downtime based on the number of users or lost
transactions per minute, but it is much more difficult to calculate the cost
for intangibles. The following lists other key benefits of a change management
process.
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Reduced downtime
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Faster turnarounds
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Expectations are established prior to change and address correctly during the
change
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Standards are created
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Roles and responsibilities are communicated
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History of record of changes
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Thorough testing methodology Changes are planned and communicated
Contact SQLSquare today!
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