Andy Lee Hopper

US Patent:

20080281833, Nov 13, 2008

Filed:

May 7, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/800702

Inventors:

Nigel Cain - Redmond WA, US
Andy Hopper - Bellevue WA, US
Dileep Kumar - Redmond WA, US
Bahadir Onalan - Bellevue WA, US
Ashvin Sanghvi - Sammamish WA, US
Pritam Sharma - Sammamish WA, US
Giedrius Zizys - Redmond WA, US
Kenneth Van Hyning - Snoqualmie WA, US
R. Syam Kumar - Redmond WA, US
Andrea Westerinen - Issaquah WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707100

Abstract:

A change management system for managing configurable devices such as computer systems uses a set of rules for validating change requests, linking change requests, and determining inconsistencies within various configuration states. Analysis and validation may happen at the time the change request is created with respect to the current environment, as well as analysis and validation with respect to other pending requests and proposals, and historical actual states. The maintenance of accurate and consistent state and change information may enable various automated tools to analyze and manipulate change requests, including analysis of future desired states, historical actual states, pending change requests, and current state. The change request may be processed through an approval cycle all the while being incorporated into a scheduling system that may be used to detect inconsistent, illogical or harmful configurations in potential future configurations.