Change Management

Introduction

In ITIL, a change request represents any addition, modification, or removal made to address problems or improve IT services. ServiceNow change management enables organizations to:

  • Control and track all changes to IT infrastructure

  • Minimize risk through proper planning and approval processes

  • Maintain change records for audit and compliance purposes

  • Coordinate changes with business requirements and schedules

Types of Changes

ServiceNow typically categorizes changes into several types:

  • Standard Changes: Pre-approved, low-risk changes that follow established procedures

  • Normal Changes: Regular changes that require approval through the Change Advisory Board (CAB)

  • Emergency Changes: Urgent changes needed to resolve critical issues

Change-Problem Relationship

Changes are often created to:

  • Resolve known problems permanently

  • Implement workarounds for ongoing issues

  • Address root causes identified during problem investigation

  • Prevent recurrence of incidents

Review the Playbook

A new playbook called change-attach.yml has been created in your VS Code workspace.

Example 1. Task: Inspect the change request playbook

  1. Open the VS Code tab in your lab environment

  2. Locate and open the change-attach.yml file

  3. Review the playbook structure and parameters

  4. Note how it references existing problems or incidents

Key elements to observe:

  • Change request categorization and priority

  • Required approval workflows

  • Risk assessment and impact analysis

  • Implementation timeline and rollback plans

Create a Change Request

Execute the playbook to create a change request that addresses your problem from Module 2.

Example 2. Procedure: Launch the change request job

  1. Navigate to the Automation Controller tab

  2. Go to Automation Execution > Templates

  3. Locate the 3 - Attach change request (change-attach.yml) job template

  4. Click the rocket icon (🚀) to launch the job

  5. Monitor the job execution for completion

Change Request Details

The playbook will create a change request with:

  • Title: "Reboot the webserver" (example remediation action)

  • Description: Detailed explanation of the proposed change

  • Justification: Reference to the related problem or incident

  • Risk Assessment: Evaluation of potential impact

  • Implementation Plan: Steps to execute the change

Monitor the job output for:

  • Change request number assignment

  • Status and state information

  • Any validation or error messages

Inspect Results

Verify that the change request was successfully created and properly configured.

Example 3. Procedure: Verify change request creation

  1. Access the ServiceNow tab using your lab credentials

  2. Navigate to your pre-configured favorites (star icon ⭐)

  3. Select Change - Open to view open change requests

  4. Locate your newly created change request

Expected Change Request Properties

Look for these key attributes in your change request:

Field Expected Value

Short Description

"Reboot the webserver" or similar remediation action

State

"New" or "Assess" depending on configuration

Priority

Appropriate based on related problem/incident

Category

Software or Hardware as applicable

Description

Detailed explanation of the change purpose

Justification

Reference to related problem or incident

Additional Field Validation

Verify that other relevant fields have been populated:

  • On Hold Reason: May be set if approval is pending

  • Assigned To: Should reflect the appropriate change implementer

  • Planned Start/End Dates: Timeline for change implementation

  • Risk: Assessment of potential impact (Low, Medium, High)

Understanding Change Workflows

This module demonstrates several change management concepts:

  • Automated Change Creation: Programmatic generation of change requests

  • Problem-Change Linkage: Connecting changes to their underlying justification

  • Standardized Documentation: Consistent change request formatting

  • Integration Points: How changes fit into overall ITSM processes

Change Approval Process

In a production environment, your change request would typically:

  1. Assessment: Technical review of proposed change

  2. Authorization: Approval by Change Advisory Board (CAB)

  3. Scheduling: Coordination with business requirements

  4. Implementation: Execution of the approved change

  5. Review: Post-implementation validation and closure

Next Steps

With your change request successfully created, you’re ready to proceed to Module 4, where you’ll learn about CMDB management and how to query and update configuration items that might be affected by your changes.

Troubleshooting

If you have encountered an issue or have noticed something not quite right, please open an issue on GitHub.