Using DevOps Change Request Manual Approval flow

  • Release version: Washingtondc
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Using DevOps Change Request Manual Approval flow

    The DevOps Change Request Manual Approval flow enables customization of the approval process for change requests in ServiceNow. Users can modify or recreate this flow to suit their specific requirements, ensuring that change request states are accurately updated based on approval decisions.

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    Key Features

    • State Management: The flow updates the state of step execution records to reflect the approval status of change requests (approved, canceled, or rejected).
    • Flow Designer Action: The action Update state of step execution based on change approval is essential for triggering updates and notifying orchestration tools.
    • Default Change Handler Subflow: Automatically populates key fields in change requests with default values, which can be overridden by custom subflows if needed.
    • Demo Change Automation Flow: This feature allows for the auto-approval of change requests based on predefined decision policies, facilitating easier testing and implementation.

    Key Outcomes

    By implementing the DevOps Change Request Manual Approval flow, ServiceNow customers can expect:

    • Enhanced control over change request approvals, leading to improved compliance and reduced risk.
    • Automated updates to change requests, streamlining the process and minimizing manual intervention.
    • Flexibility to customize workflows according to organizational needs, ensuring alignment with business practices.
    • Increased efficiency in the DevOps change process, allowing for quicker releases and better resource management.

    Customize or recreate the DevOps Change Request Manual Approval flow based on your requirements using a flow or a script.

    In the DevOps Change Request Manual Approval flow, the state of step execution is changed based on the change approval. However, you can customize or recreate this flow based on your requirements.

    After the change request state is moved to approved, canceled, or rejected (either manually or by using a change policy), call the Update state of step execution based on change approval Flow Designer action to update the State field of step execution record.

    You can use either a flow or a script to call the action.

    Calling the Flow Designer action using a flow

    Calling the Update state of step execution based on change approval Flow Designer action is required to update the state of the step execution record according to the approval field in the change request record.

    This action serves as a trigger for the Change Control Callback flow, which is used to notify the change decision to the orchestration tool.

    DevOps Model Change Request flow

    Calling the Flow Designer action using a script

    Method to call the Flow Designer action from a script:
    sn_fd.FlowAPI.executeAction('sn_devops.name_of_FD_action’, inputs);

    DevOps Flow Designer action script

    Default Change Handler subflow

    Use the Default Change Handler subflow to populate these change request fields with default values.
    • Requested by
    • Justification
    • Implementation Plan
    • Backout plan
    • Test Plan
    • Short Description
    • Description
    • Start Date
    • End Date
    • Risk Impact Analysis

    The Default Change Handler subflow overrides the field values that were populated using a template while creating the change request record.

    If desired, you can write a custom subflow in place of this flow by modifying the [sn_devops.change_request_handler_subflow] DevOps property.

    DevOps  Demo  Change Automation flow

    When demo data is installed, Flow DesignerDevOps  Demo  Change Automation flow  is available where  normal type of change request or normal model change request can be auto-approved based on the decision policies. 

    As a part of demo data, the decision policies available are: 
    • DevOps Low Risk Auto Approval policy, where the failed test count is zero  .
    • DevOps High risk manual approval policy, where the failed test count is greater than zero .

    DevOps Approval Policy

    As a part of the demo flow, Flow Designer actions available are:

    • DevOps Set Change Window

      Action used to set the change request start date.

    • Get Change Policy User/Group

      Action used to fetch the user/group based on the change request approval policy.

    • DevOps Create Auto Approval Record

      Action used by the user to create Auto-Approve/Auto-Reject approval records.

    DevOps Demo Change Automation flow