Defining change control scope

[darkstar]

Everyone agrees that change control is a good thing. Our Mgmt. has started firing people who do no have change records for performing changes. The question in the admins' mind is, what is a change? Does changing your .profile constitute change? Does logging in (which updates wtmp)constitute change? How about blowing away a core file? How about writing to /tmp? Or anywhere else you have write access?<br>
Has anyone out there successfully qualified what constitutes change, so that an admin. can work without the shadow of the axe looming over their head?

 

[AndyBo]

Whoa! Talk about draconian tactics...<br>
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Aren't there any company guidelines as to what constitutes a change? And what files should be under change control? I don't know where your based, but here in the UK management wouldn't have a leg to stand on without these types of documents.<br>
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I'd think about moving to a company that's ready for the 21st Century, if I were you ;^)<br>
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Seriously, though, if I was in your situation, I'd keep change control records for pretty much everything that could be changed *manually*. That way you'd be well covered.<br>
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I think that things like wtmp, which is, in essence, a log file, shouldn't really fall under change control. That would be getting way to paranoid.

 

[bigscouse]

I agree with AndyBo here. If your trying to get a vital system backup the last thing you need to be doing is change control. <br>
Generaly change control is for amendments to production code or data. Anything else would need to be specifficaly covered by documentation. <br>
Always remeber when doing any changes 'BACK IT UP' first. No use filling in forms if you just deleted your database with no means of recovery.<br>
To realy go into change control properly would fill a couple of books so I will stop.<br>
One word of advice, if things at work are as you say then don't give them the pleasure of sackiong you. There is plenty of work out there. <p>Ged Jones<br><a href=mailto:gedejones@hotmail.com>gedejones@hotmail.com</a><br><a href= > </a><br>