Configuring Tivoli Change Management Escalation Rules


Overview

Tasks

Included with

Tivoli Change Management administration

Overview

What are escalation rules?

In Tivoli Change Management, escalation is the process of recognizing changes, approvals, or tasks that need attention and then notifying the appropriate people involved. For example, you can create rules to escalate the following:
  • Changes that are submitted, but have not been approved
  • Changes that have been approved, but not completed
  • Individual approvals that have not been received
  • Tasks that have not started
  • Tasks that have been started, but are not complete

For more information about the types of escalation rules, see Understanding Tivoli Change Management Escalation Rule Types.

As system administrator, you are responsible for creating and maintaining the escalation rules. Users are only involved with escalation rules when they receive an escalation notification.

Once you create and add an escalation rule, it is applied to any change, approval, or task that meets the criteria you specified in the rule.

Once an escalation rule is applied to a change, notifications are sent to inform individuals involved with a change, with approvals, or with tasks that are progressing too slowly. For each escalation rule you create, you can choose the following individuals to notify:

  • Approvers
  • Requesters
  • Task resources
  • Implementers
  • Change administrator(s)

The Escalation Rules dialog box

To access the Escalation Rules dialog box, do one of the following:
  • If you are using the Tivoli Change Management administrator profile, from the Configuration menu, choose Escalations.
  • If you are using the Tivoli Service Desk administrator profile, from the Change Management menu, choose Configure Escalations.
  • From the Help menu, choose Your System Profile and follow the instructions under Configure escalations.

Tasks

Creating an escalation rule

You can create escalation rules as needed.

To create an escalation rule:

  1. From the Configuration menu, choose Escalations.
    Result: The Escalation Rules dialog box appears.
  2. The value in the Escalation Polling Period box indicates how often the Escalation Monitor checks to see if there are changes, approvals, or tasks to escalate. It is also the polling period used in Tivoli Problem Management to monitor problems and calls that need to be escalated.

    If you change the escalation polling period for escalating rules, the same polling period value is applied to escalations in Tivoli Problem Management. Under Rules for, select a rule type. Any existing rules for that type appear in the Rules table.

    Note: Choosing OK or Cancel from the Escalation Rules dialog box does not cancel or confirm modifications or additions to the rules in the Rules table. It applies to modifications you make to the escalation polling period only.

  3. Choose Add.
    Result: The Add Escalation dialog box appears.
  4. In the Title box, type a title for the rule.
  5. In the Description box, type a description of the rule.
  6. In the Level box, type a number to indicate whether this rule is used for the first escalated notifications or subsequent escalations.
    A change must match a level 1 rule before an escalation notification is sent. If a change matches more than one rule at any level, the sort order for each rule in that level determines which rule is applied to the change. If a change, approval, or task matches more than one rule, the rule with the lowest sort order is used.
  7. Next to the Category box, choose the Browse button to select a change category for the rule.
    The rule is only applied to changes of the same category. If no category is selected, the rule applies to all changes.
  8. Next to the Condition box, choose Set to create a condition for the rule.
    See Creating conditions for escalation rules. Otherwise, go to step 9.
  9. In the Sort Order box, type a number to indicate if the rule should be applied first, second, third, and so on, if there are other escalation rules that match the same change in the same level.
    Assigning a lower sort order to the most specific rules ensures that the they are applied to a change first.
  10. Do one of the following:
If the rule is ... then ...
Level 1 in the Escalate days box, type the number of days before or after the criteria is met to send the notification.

Under Direction, select Before or After to specify when the notifications are sent.

From the list box, select the appropriate phrase. The phrases in the list depend on the type of escalation rule you are creating.

Go to step 11.

Level 2 or higher in the Escalate days after previous escalation box, specify the number of days to wait before escalating the object and sending the notification(s).

Go to step 11.

  1. Under Notifications, check the appropriate notification boxes.
If ... then ...
the approver is a CCB each person in the CCB receives a notification.
the approver or task resource is an organization each titleholder in the organization receives a notification.
  1. Choose OK.
    Result: The escalation rule is saved and the Escalation Rules dialog box appears. After the rule is saved, it appears in the Rules List and is applied to each change that meets its criteria.

Creating conditions for escalation rules

You can create a condition for each rule to further limit the changes to which an escalation rule is applied.

To create a condition for an escalation rule:

  1. From the Configuration menu, choose Escalations.
    Result: Escalation Rules dialog box appears.
  2. From the Add or Edit Escalation dialog box, choose Set.
    Result: The Search dialog box appears.
    The Column box is populated with data from the database table of the escalation object, as follows:
If the rule applies to... then ...
changes the CHANGE table is used.
approvals the APPROVAL table is used.
tasks the IMPLEMENT_SCHEDULE table is used.
  1. Under Select Rows Where, select a column name.
  2. From the Operator list, select an operator.
  3. In the Value box, type a value.
    If the value is a time, specify times based on a 24-hour clock.
  4. Choose Apply.
    Result: The search criteria is added to the list under the Apply button.
  5. If you want to add another clause to your query, choose either the And or Or button, as appropriate.
    Repeat steps 3-6, as necessary, until you specify all the clauses in the query.
  6. If you need to remove a search clause, select it and choose Remove.
  7. Under Order By, select a field name and choose either Ascending or Descending to set the order in which the records are sorted.
  8. If you need to remove a sort order selection, select it and choose Remove.
  9. Choose OK.
    Result: The Add Escalation Rule dialog box appears and the new condition is added to the rule.
Modifying an escalation rule You can modify escalation rules as necessary so they continue to support the change management process of your organization.

To modify an escalation rule:

  1. From the Configuration menu, select Configure Escalations.
    Result: The Escalation Rules dialog box appears.
  2. Under Rules for, select the type of escalation rule you want to modify.
    The existing rules for that type appear in the Rules List.
  3. Under Rules List, select the rule you want to modify.
  4. Choose Edit.
    Result: The Edit Escalation dialog box appears.
  5. Modify the rule criteria.
  6. Choose OK.
    Result: The changes are saved and the Escalation Rules dialog box appears.
Viewing an escalation rule You can view escalation rules to understand their purpose and to determine whether they are still appropriate.

To view an escalation rule:

  1. From the Configuration menu, select Configure Escalations.
    Result: The Escalation Rules dialog box appears.
  2. Under Rules for, select the type of escalation rule you want to view.
    Result: The existing rules for that type appear in the Rules List.
  3. Under Rules List, select the rule you want to view.
  4. Choose View.
    The View Escalation dialog box appears.
  5. View the rule information.
  6. Choose OK.
    Result: The Escalation Rules dialog box appears.
Deleting an escalation rule You can delete escalation rules you no longer need.

To delete an escalation rule:

  1. From the Configuration menu, select Configure Escalations.
    Result: The Escalation Rules dialog box appears
  2. Under Rules for, select the type of escalation rule you want to delete.
    Result: The existing rules for that type appear in the Rules List.
  3. Under Rules List, select the rule you want to delete.
  4. Choose Delete.
    Result: A warning message appears.
  5. Choose Yes.
    Result: The escalation rule is deleted.