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, Filed Under: Newsletter

September 2022

ITS Service Management Newsletter

September 2022:

  • Reminders and Helpful Hints
  • Service Management Roadmap Update
  • Which Change Type Should I Choose?
  • What is a Blackout Window vs a Reserved Maintenance Window?
  • How Do I Submit a Request for a Reserved Maintenance Window?
  • Public Knowledge Management
  • Service Management Project Updates

Reminders and Helpful Hints

  • When scheduling a Change, be sure to review the IT Maintenance Calendar as well as the ITS Change Management Dashboard Calendar for potential conflicts.
    • Note: The ITS Service Management Team are investigating service improvement opportunities for the IT Maintenance and Change Calendars. Future considerations include using ServiceNow conflict detection to identify potential scheduling conflicts for a change record and minimizing manual checks of multiple calendars.
  • The ITS Major Incident Checklist has been updated. Please download the latest version and scrap any copies of previous versions you may have.

Service Management Roadmap

The Service Management Roadmap has been updated to reflect completed, re-prioritized, and new projects.

Which Change Type Should I Choose?

The Service Management Team has created the following infographic to help you more easily decide which type of request for change you should submit. The graphic has been added to KB0018316 and a link to the KB has been added above the “New Change Request” catalog page.

Only a Change Advisory Board (CAB) Facilitator can create, update, and delete Blackout Windows and Reserved Maintenance Windows.

What is a Blackout Window vs a Reserved Maintenance Window?

The Change Management Standards and Guidelines have been updated to clarify the difference between a blackout window and a reserved maintenance window.

  • Blackout Window – A scheduled period of time in which changes that may affect critical academic or IT services should be avoided. Only pre-approved, standard, or emergency changes required to resolve production issues should be made during this period.

    Examples of periods appropriate for Blackout Windows include:  the start of class through the 12th class day, priority registration, other high-profile special events.

    Blackout Windows may not be requested by service owners. Academic and events calendars are reviewed periodically by CAB and approved dates are then added to the IT Maintenance Calendar.
  • Reserved Maintenance Window – A Maintenance Window for a Critical Infrastructure Service that should be prioritized over other Maintenance Windows.

    Due to the impact of these events, the owner of a Reserved Maintenance Window should notify the owners of any maintenance events that are already scheduled to overlap with the Reserved Maintenance Window. In virtually all cases, these overlapping events will need to be rescheduled.

    Intersession Network Maintenance is an example of work appropriate for a Reserved Maintenance Window.

    Reserved Maintenance Windows may be requested by service owners. CAB approved requests will then be added to the IT Maintenance Calendar.

How Do I Submit a Request for a Reserved Maintenance Window?

Note: The Service Management Team is working to develop a form in ServiceNow that will be used to submit a request for a Reserved Maintenance Window. In the meantime, please follow the process below.

To request a Reserved Maintenance Window, send an email to its-cab@utlists.utexas.edu and provide the following information:

  1. Event Title: [name that you would like to appear for all windows within this Reserved Maintenance Window, such as “Network Maintenance”]
  2. Description: [Short description for this reserved maintenance window]
  3. Contact Information: [Contact name & email address] *Note: contact information is needed for any questions related to the reserved maintenance window.
  4. Events can be created as recurring or one-time. *Note: All-day events are discouraged; where possible, provide the actual timeframe for reserved maintenance window time.
  5. Date and time for the event
    • One-time event
      Start Date: _________   Start Time:   _________     End Time: _________
    • Recurring Event
      Repeat every: ___________    Start Time:   _________    End Time: _________
      Repeat on: ___________     Repeat until: _______    [This field is encouraged]

Public Knowledge Management

Customer Support Services (CSS) will assume the responsibility for approving public knowledge articles from the ServiceNow team effective October 10, 2022.

Benefits include:

  • Applying a consistent public article look and feel
  • Adoption and use of best practices
  • Improvement in usability and audience understanding

The process change will not delay the publication of articles into production.

Service Management Project Updates

  • IT Service Catalog EDUCAUSE Standardization: Complete
    • Remapping and service updates went live September 15
  • ServiceNow Major Incident Process: In Progress
  • Service Asset & Configuration Management (CMDB) P1: In Progress
    • Evaluating Vendor Submissions to QR (Quote Request)
  • Self-Service Password Reset: Not Started
    • Beginning November 2022
    • Target Completion August 2023
  • ServiceNow Virtual Agent and Chat Services: On-hold
    • On-hold pending completion of Self-Service Password Reset

Please submit your questions or comments for the Service Management Team

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