Administration › CA CMDB Administration › Configuration Audit › Managing Change Specifications › Create a Change Specification

Create a Change Specification

Create a change specification for a Change Order. By default, you can only modify change specifications in the RFC state. The Configuration or Change Administrators can change the definition of the Change Order managed change state that allows modification of change specifications.

The Verification Log tab shows the change verification activity history for this change specification. The log shows details about the policy and actions that CACF takes when change verification was in effect for the change specification. Verification log entries highlighted in red indicate that the corresponding change specification is either Failed Verification or Manual Verification Active, and requires further attention by the user.

To help you set the planned value, the Discovered Attribute History tab lists all values that an MDR recently discovered, whether they were authorized or loaded into the CMDB. From this tab, you can see the format and case sensitivity of the values so that you can determine an appropriate planned value pattern.

The Change Specification History tab shows the audit history listing all previous modifications made to the change specification options with the time and the user that made the changes.

Follow these steps:

1. From a Change Order, click the Configuration Management tab and select the Change Specifications tab.

   Note: You can also create change specifications from the Administration tab from CA CMDB, Configuration Audit, Change Specifications. You can also create them from a CI if you click the Related Tickets tab then select the Change Specifications tab.

   The Change Specifications List page appears.

2. Click Create New.

   The Create New Change Specification page appears.

3. Complete the following steps:
   1. Enter the Change Order number that requests the change (only required if created from a CI or the Administration tab).
   2. Enter the name of the CI associated with the Change Order.

      You can leave the CI name blank to imply that the change specification applies to all defined CIs for the Change Order.

   3. Set the change specification as Active or Inactive.
   4. (Optional) Enter a description for the change specification.
   5. Select the Managed Attribute for this change specification from the drop-down list.

      Selecting Any Managed Attribute indicates that any managed attribute can be changed during the verification of the Change Order. In this case, multiple attributes can be updated, the planned value cannot be specified, and the planned change status is never updated.

   6. Enter the planned value of the Managed Attribute.

      Specify the expected value of the attribute after executing the change. After the Change Order moves into a verification state, and the CI updates through the web interface, GRLoader, or Web Services, CACF compares the planned value with the inbound data to determine a match.

      You can embed special characters in the planned value when the exact value is not known.

   7. Select the appropriate verification state of the Change Specification from the drop-down list:
      • Manual Verification will be required

        When CACF verifies the Change Order, manual verification will be required.

      • Set after Change Verified

        Set the CI attribute to the planned value after verification completes. Use this option for setting CI attributes when the attribute is not discoverable.

        Note: The set operation only occurs when the Change Order moves from a state with change verification active to a nonactive default state. For example, the set takes place when a Change Order moves from Verification in Progress to Closed. The set does not occur if the Change Order is canceled, demoted, or moved to another state.

      • Use Discovered Value

        Copy the discovered value to the CI at verification time, used when the planned value is not known prior to verification.

      • Verification Pending

        The change has not been verified and waits for a CI update.

4. Click Save.

   The change specification is saved.