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Modern Change: DevOps Change Velocity

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In this lesson, you will learn:

  • Why app teams find change slow
  • What DevOps Change Velocity does
  • How automatic approval works
  • Why SNWR only looks at it

🔁 Quick look back: Last time: Change Properties and Closure Rules. You learned how close codes, close notes and reviews of failed changes work at SNWR.

1 “We release 20 times a week”

SNWR’s web team updates the company website many times a week.

  • Each update needs a normal change.
  • They wait for approvals, again and again.
  • So they start skipping the change process.

🎯 The problem: When the change process is too slow for fast teams, they go around it.

👉 The fix: connect the change process to the team’s build pipeline, and approve low-risk releases automatically.

2 What it does

Key term: Build pipeline

The automatic steps that test and release an app, like build, test and deploy.

Key term: DevOps Change Velocity

A ServiceNow feature that creates changes from the pipeline and approves them using evidence, like passed tests.

DevOps Change Velocity in four steps. 1 A developer's code passes the build. 2 The pipeline asks ServiceNow for a change, and one is created automatically with the details. 3 Rules check the evidence: tests passed, code reviewed, low risk. 4 If the evidence is good, the change is approved automatically and the release goes ahead. If not, it goes to a person to approve.
Figure 1. The pipeline asks. The evidence decides.

3 Why SNWR only looks at it

📦 Entitlement check: DevOps Change Velocity is a Prime feature. SNWR has ITSM Advanced, so this lesson is Observe only.

  • It fits teams that release often, with good automated tests.
  • It keeps a full record of every release, without slowing the team.
  • SNWR may add it later, if the web team grows.

⭐ Remember: Fast teams need a fast change path, or they’ll go around it.

4 Quick recap

  • Slow change processes push fast teams to skip them
  • DevOps Change Velocity creates changes from the pipeline
  • Evidence like passed tests can approve changes automatically
  • Every release is still recorded
  • It’s a Prime feature, so SNWR only looks at it

5 Check yourself

Think of your answer first. Then tap to check.

1 Why did the web team start skipping changes? Show answer

The normal change process was too slow for their many releases.

2 What decides if a pipeline change is auto-approved? Show answer

Evidence, like passed tests and reviewed code.

3 Is every release still recorded? Show answer

Yes. Each one creates a change.

4 Why is this lesson Observe only for SNWR? Show answer

It’s a Prime feature, and SNWR has Advanced.

Nice work! You know how change keeps up with fast teams. 🎉
Next up: Scoping the SNWR Service Catalog

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