Bi-directional communication between change management tool and implementation tools
View Patent ↗Task implementation tools are registered to interface with a change management tool. The change management tool configures a plurality of tasks to implement a change to an information technology infrastructure's configuration, and sends a plurality of task instructions to the plurality of task implementation tools for performing the plurality of tasks. Each task instruction is directed to a targeted task implementation tool for performing a particular task and includes task-related information for the targeted implementation tool to perform the particular task. Registering the plurality of task implementation tools to interface with the change management tool includes registering each the plurality of task implementation tools to accept the task instruction for the particular task directed to it from the change management tool, to know what to do with the task instruction and to know how to respond to the task instruction.
1. A method, comprising:
registering a plurality of task implementation tools to interface with a change management tool,
the change management tool configured to associate a unique change identifier (“unique Change ID”) with a change request specifying a change to an information technology infrastructure's configuration, to configure a plurality of tasks to implement the change, associate each of the plurality of tasks with an unique individual task identifier (“unique Task ID”), and send a plurality of task instructions to the plurality of task implementation tools for performing the plurality of tasks,
each task instruction being directed to a targeted task implementation tool for performing a particular task of the plurality of tasks to implement the change to the information technology infrastructure's configuration specified by the change request,
each task instruction including task-related information for the targeted implementation tool to perform the particular task, the unique Change ID associated with the change request and the unique Task ID associated with the particular task; and
wherein registering the plurality of task implementation tools to interface with the change management tool includes registering each of the plurality of task implementation tools to accept the task instruction for the particular task directed to it from the change management tool, to know what to do with the task instruction and to know how to respond to the task instruction.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein registering each the plurality of task implementation tools includes providing a unique identifier (“unique Registry ID”) to each registered task implementation tool.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising, configuring each registered task implementation tool to respond to the change management a result indicating an implementation status of the particular task, the result further including a return of the unique Change ID and the unique Task ID sent by the change management tool in the task instruction for the particular task and a return of the unique Registry ID of the registered task implementation tool.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising, configuring a mapping of the result received by the change management tool from the registered implementation tool to a success or failure status of the change request at a change management level within the change management tool.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein configuring the mapping of the result from the registered implementation tool to a success or failure status of the change request at a change management level within the change management tool includes configuring a mapping of the unique Change ID, the unique Task ID and the unique Registry ID in the result to the success or failure status of the change request.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein configuring the mapping of the result from the registered implementation tool to a success or failure status of the change request at a change management level within the change management tool includes configuring the change management tool to use the unique Change ID and the unique Task IDs for the plurality of tasks and the unique Registry IDs for the registered task implementation tools in the received results to match and track implementation of the change request and each of the plurality of tasks associated with the change request across the information technology infrastructure.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein registering the plurality of task implementation tools to interface with the change management tool includes establishing bi-directional communication between each of the plurality of task implementation tools and the change management tool.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein registering the plurality of task implementation tools to interface with the change management tool includes using a registry form on a graphical user interface of the change management tool for each of the plurality of task implementation tools.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein registering the plurality of task implementation tools to interface with the change management tool includes entering a name, a description, and an active status or inactive status of the implementation tool in the registry form.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein registering the plurality of task implementation tools to interface with the change management tool further includes defining template, interface and instance forms associated with the implementation tool, and defining connection information for communicating with the implementation tool, in the registry form.
11. A non-transitory storage device, readable by a programmable control device, comprising instructions stored on the non-transitory storage device for causing the programmable control device to perform the method according to claim 1 .
12. A system, comprising:
a processor coupled to a computer memory, the processor configured to execute instructions to implement a change management tool coupled to an information technology infrastructure, the change management tool configured to:
register a plurality of task implementation tools to interface with the change management tool,
the change management tool configured to associate a unique change identifier (“unique Change ID”) with a change request specifying a change to an information technology infrastructure's configuration, to configure a plurality of tasks to implement the change, associate each of the plurality of tasks with an unique individual task identifier (“unique Task ID”), and send a plurality of task instructions to the plurality of task implementation tools for performing the plurality of tasks,
each task instruction being directed to a targeted task implementation tool for performing a particular task of the plurality of tasks to implement the change to the information technology infrastructure's configuration specified by the change request,
each task instruction including task-related information for the targeted implementation tool to perform the particular task, the unique Change ID associated with the change request and the unique Task ID associated with the particular task; and
wherein registering the plurality of task implementation tools to interface with the change management tool includes registering each of the plurality of task implementation tools to accept the task instruction for the particular task directed to it from the change management tool, to know what to do with the task instruction and to know how to respond to the task instruction.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the change management tool is further configured to provide a unique identifier (“unique Registry ID”) to each registered task implementation tool.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein each registered task implementation tool is configured to return to the change management a result indicating an implementation status of the particular task, the result further including a return of the unique Change ID and the unique Task ID sent by the change management tool in the task instruction for the particular task and the unique Registry ID of the registered task implementation tool.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the change management tool is further configured to map the result received from the registered implementation tool to a success or failure status of the change request at a change management level within the change management tool.
16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the change management tool is further configured to map the unique Change ID, the unique Task ID and the unique Registry ID in the result to the success or failure status of the change request.
17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the change management tool is further configured to use the unique Change ID and the unique Task IDs for the plurality of tasks and the unique Registry IDs for the registered task implementation tools in the received results to match and track implementation of the change request and each of the plurality of tasks associated with the change request across the information technology infrastructure.
18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the change management tool configured to: establish bi-directional communication between each of the plurality of task implementation tools and the change management tool.
19. The system of claim 12 , wherein a respective registry form on a graphical user interface of the change management tool is used to register each of the plurality of task implementation tools.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the registry form for each registered implementation tool includes a name, a description, an active status or inactive status of the implementation tool, identifications of template, interface and instance forms associated with the implementation tool, and connection information for communicating with the implementation tool, in the registry form.