To use DCS effectively, you need to develop a plan for the flow of information between databases. This plan must address the Rational Change lifecycle (transitions between states), and the corresponding DCM configuration management flow (hand over of control from one database to another).
As a starting point, consider these questions. Your answers will help determine your DCS methodology and topology.
- In which databases will change requests be entered?
- Are change requests verified and then transitioned in the same database in which they were entered?
- Are change requests assigned to personnel in remote databases?
- Are the tasks for a change request created and assigned from a single controlling database for that change request?
- Are tasks created and assigned in more than one database against the same change request?
- In which databases are change requests resolved?
- In which databases are change requests concluded?
- Do reporting or query requirements require visibility of change requests from other databases? If so, do these requirements include a breakdown of associated tasks?
- Is reporting on associated objects required?
- If change request replication is required, does it need to be selective? If so, is it based on product name, or on some other criteria?
- Is replication of registered or task_assigned tasks required? Or is replication of tasks that are in the completed state sufficient?
- Are there issues regarding commercial sensitivity of configuration Management data in remote databases? How are these issues addressed?
- What e-mail triggers are required? How is e-mail notification against different databases implemented?