Method for Providing Assistance in Making Change Decisions in a Configurable Managed Environment

In association with a configuration management database (CMDB) containing information that relates to configuration items (CIs) in a configurable managed system, wherein a change station is provided to make respective changes, a method for determining whether to allow a particular change that would affect at least a given one of the CIs, said method comprising the steps of:

• acquiring information from said CMDB pertaining to the given CI that would be affected by said particular change;
• determining a first value that represents the time of the most recent synchronization of said given CI with said CMDB;
• determining a second value, wherein the second value is determined from one or both of the number of reads made from said given CI by other CIs, and the number of writes made to said given CI from other CIs, selectively;
• using said first value and said second value, collectively, to derive a weight that is assigned to said given CI, wherein said derived weight is related to the probable accuracy of said information acquired from said CMDB;
• selectively processing said derived weight to compute a confidence level indicating the probability that said acquired information is correct;
• and
• allowing said particular change to be made in said configurable system only if said confidence level is no less than a pre-specified minimum value.

In association with a configuration management database (CMDB) containing information that relates to configuration items (CIs) in a configurable managed system, wherein a change station is provided to make respective changes, a computer program product in a computer readable storage medium for determining whether to allow a particular change that would affect at least a given one of the CIs, said computer program product comprising:

• instructions for acquiring information from said CMDB pertaining to the given CI that would be affected by said particular change;
• instructions for determining a first value that represents the time of the most recent synchronization of said given CI with said CMDB;
• instructions for determining a second value, wherein the second value is determined from one or both of the number of reads made from said given CI by other CIs, and the number of writes made to said given CI from other CIs, selectively;
• instructions for using said first value and said second value, collectively, to derive a weight that is assigned to said given CI, wherein said derived weight is related to the probable accuracy of said information acquired from said CMDB;
• instructions for selectively processing said derived weight to compute a confidence level indicating the probability that said acquired information is correct;
• and
• instructions for allowing said particular change to be made in said configurable system only if said confidence level is no less than a pre-specified minimum value.

In a configurable managed system, provided with configuration items (CI) and with a change station adapted to make respective changes, apparatus for determining whether to allow a particular change that would affect at least a given one of the CIs, said apparatus comprising:

• a configuration management database (CMDB) containing information that relates to configuration items (CIs);
• a device for acquiring information from said CMDB pertaining to the given CI that would be affected by said particular change;
• a device for determining a first value that represents the time of the most recent synchronization of said given CI with said CMDB;
• a device for determining a second value, wherein the second value is determined from one or both of the number of reads made from said given CI by other CIs, and the number of writes made to said given CI from other CIs, selectively;
• a device for using said first value and said second value, collectively, to derive a weight that is assigned to said given CI, wherein said derived weight is related to the probable accuracy of said information acquired from said CMDB;
• a device for selectively processing said derived weight to compute a confidence level indicating the probability that said acquired information is correct;
• and
• a comparator device for allowing said particular change to be made in said configurable system only if said confidence level is no less than a pre-specified minimum value.