HW/SW Rollout Management

What it is

Objectives

Promised Performance

Client Obligations

Version 2.0

1. Description

The process of coordinating and managing major rollouts of desktops or software productivity suites/packages to large sections of the ebc live environment. The process includes planning, testing, and implementing. It also ensures that major rollouts are implemented in a controlled and systematic way that limits negative impacts to the IT environment.

2. Objectives

to plan and oversee the successful roll-out of software and related hardware
to ensure that hardware and software being changed is traceable, secure and that only correct, authorized and tested versions are installed
to agree the exact content and roll-out plan for the Release, through liaison with Change Management
to ensure that master copies of all software are secured in the Definitive Software Library (DSL) and that the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is updated
to ensure that all hardware being rolled out or changed is secure and traceable, using the services of Configuration Management.

3. Service Commitments

95% of all hardware and software to be rolled out is completed in agreed timescales
no more than 2% of all new Configuration Items placed into the production environment experience an incident attributable to a new CI placed into production

How are we doing ?

4. Client Obligations

business unit participation in rollout scheduling and making facilities available
Users to report all incident and problems encountered following a rollout

5. Client Costs

Costs are paid through an annual appropriation to the ebcIT Division through the Ministry of Labour as negotiated during the annual government-wide fiscal budgeting process.

6. Dependencies

95% of releases completed in agreed timescales - this requires the central Release Management function to publish predefined targets (service levels or SLAs) for software distributions and other common tasks
whenever new or changed hardware is rolled out, the CMDB should be updated. The CMDB should always contain the current status information on all authorized software and hardware and is used to ensure that only the correct components are included in a Release,
ebcCAB, with advice from Release Management, is responsible for recommending the content and scheduling of rollouts.
Copies of all production software is accepted from developers or suppliers, it is placed into the DSL and registered in the CMDB. Release Management is responsible for testing canned software for environmental compatibility and for registering encountered problems, issues and and known errors prior to a rollout,
At the end of the successful rollout, various records in the Problem Management system may need updating as follows:
- any related Problems or enhancement requests should be closed
- any known Problems introduced the rollout should be added to the database to allow Service Desk staff to support the standard image

7. Activities

Rollout planning - Rollout planning details of the exact installation process developed and the agreed implementation plan. Rollout planning involves:
- producing an exact, detailed timetable of events, as well as who will do what (i.e. a resource plan)
- listing the CIs to install and decommission, with details on the method of disposal for any redundant equipment and software
- documenting an action plan by site, noting any implications of different time zones on the overall plans (e.g. an international organization may well not have a single common Release window when none of its systems is being used throughout the world)
- producing Release notes and communications to end Users
- planning communication
- developing purchasing plans
- acquiring hardware and software where, because this often involves the acquisition and deployment of numerous high-value assets, the rollout plan should include the procedures to be followed for their secure Storage prior to rollout and the mechanisms to trace their deployment during the implementation (which could involve the use of asset tags or other electronically readable labels)
- scheduling meetings for managing staff and groups involved in the Release
Communications, preparation and training - Customer liaison staff, Customers and support staff need to know what is planned and how it might affect them. This is normally accomplished through training sessions, periods of parallel working, and involvement in the Release acceptance stage. Problems and Changes that need to be made during rollout should be communicated to all parties to keep them informed and to set their expectations. This activity normally includes running a series of rollout planning meetings with all of the interested parties to ensure that the plans are properly reviewed, checkpoints are established and all parties agree their responsibilities,
Distribution and installations - distribution of the hardware and software from the build environment into the controlled test environment and then into the live environment should be accomplished with any associated hardware or co-requisite changes,

8. More Information

Responsible for Service Management, delivery and accuracy of this Catalogue item: Sheila Sullivan, Release Manager