TABLE OF CONTENTS
Application Processes
As an application progresses through the migration workflow - from initially being identified as a requirement through to deployment in the production environment - ManagementStudio has the ability to track each stage of the journey to provide an accurate reflection of the project's progress and migration readiness.
This information is recorded in the Application Process & Status section of an application's (migration) record:
An example of setting the Application Process for an application.
How Application Processes Help
Changing the process as an application moves through the workflow ensures that all project stakeholders have an up-to-date view of where the application is in the project. The processes also feed many of the reports and dashboards in ManagementStudio.
- An accurate view of where the application is
- State changes can trigger notifications
- Integration with ESM
- Use attachments and contacts within the application migration record to ensure relevant information is captured.
Using the Default Processes
ManagementStudio contains a sample workflow that can be extended to meet the custom requirements of an organisation.
| Process | Sub-Process | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Identified | N/A | By default, all applications will be set to 'Identified' to denote that it has been imported by an Inventory Connector or bulk data import tool. |
| 2. Discovery Used to gather all packaging pre-requisites. | Discovery Queue | The application has entered the discovery queue and is awaiting assignment. |
| On Hold - Info Req Vendor | Progress is on hold while waiting for information from the application vendor. | |
| On Hold - Info Req Business | Progress is on hold while waiting for a decision from the business. | |
| Ready for Packaging | All pre-requisite information has been capture and the application is ready for packaging. | |
| 3. Packaging | Packaging Queue | The application has entered the packaging queue. |
| UAT Failed Queue | The application failed UAT (step 5) and has re-entered the packaging queue for remediation. | |
| Work In Progress | Packaging work is in active progress. | |
| On Hold - Info Req Vendor | Progress is on hold while waiting for information from the application vendor. | |
| Awaiting Change Request | Progress is on hold until the successful completion of a change request. | |
| On Hold - Info Req Business | Progress is on hold while waiting for information from the business. | |
| Ready for QA | The application completed the packaging phase and is ready for Quality Assurance. | |
| 4. QA Used to assess the quality of the packaging work. E.g. do all icons install correctly, are shortcuts working, is the application name presented correctly. | QA Queue | The application has entered the Quality Assurance queue and is ready for review. |
| QA Peer Review | The application is undergoing peer review. | |
| QA Fail | The application has failed QA peer review and should be submitted to packaging for remediation. | |
| QA Pass | The application has passed QA peer review and is ready to progress to the next stage of the workflow. | |
| 5. UAT Queue | UAT Queue | The application has entered the UAT queue. |
| UAT in Progress | UAT against the application is in progress. | |
| On Hold | UAT has started but has been placed on hold. | |
| UAT Booked | A user has been booked on a UAT session. | |
| UAT Fail for review | The application has failed UAT and should be reviewed. | |
| UAT Pass | The application has passed UAT and is ready for distribution. | |
| 6. Distribution | Awaiting Distribution | Work on distributing the application has not started. |
| Distribution In Progress | A deployment slot for the application has been scheduled and is currently in progress. | |
| Awaiting Change to Live | Distribution is on hold while changes to the Live environment are being made to accommodate the application. The CR has been approved. | |
| Distribution On Hold | Application distribution is on hold. | |
| Awaiting Change Request | A change request is required before the application is distributed to the Live environment. | |
| 7. Live Used to denote that an application has been distributed to the Live environment. This is a key process for many of ManagementStudio's reports. | Live (Windows Version A) | |
| Live (Windows Version B) | ||
| Live (Windows Version C) | ||
| Live Non Business Critical | ||
| Retired The Retired process identifies applications that have previously been distributed but have been withdrawn. | No Longer Used | An application has become obsolete and retired from the estate. |
| Replaced By New Version | A newer version of the application has been released to the estate. | |
| Cancelled Applications that have entered the migration workflow but are withdrawn before being approved for Live. | Not Needed | An application is no longer required by the business. |
| Incompatible | An application is incompatible with the future OS target state. |
Customising Processes
To configure the Processes:
- Switch to the Administration view by clicking the gear icon in the bottom left of the application window.
- Choose the Applications tile and select Process Workflow from the following page.
About the Interface
The numbers in the following text refer to the highlighted items in the image above.
- Save Changes (1) commits the changes to the database.
- Cancel Changes (1) to discard the changes and reload the values from the previous save.
- Toolbar icons(2), from left to right:
- Search - Search the main grid for a particular value
- Clear search
- Toggle column group bar on and off (off by default) to enable the grid to be grouped by a particular heading
- Select All - highlights all entries in the main table
- Select None - deselects all selections in the main table
- Invert - inverts the items selected in the main grid
- Copy to clipboard
- Export to Excel
- Export to CSV
- Pivot to table
- Pivot to chart
- Grid Column Chooser
- Main Grid (3):
- Process denotes the stage of the application workflow. For example, UAT.
- Status refers to the current activity within the given Process or Sub-Process. Choices available are Inactive, InProgress, OnHold, Ready and OutOfScope.
- Visible determines whether the menu item appears in the dropdown list.
- Order is a numerical value that represents the position of the item in the list. 0 (zero) places the item at the top of the list.
- Color Hex should be used to specify the colour of the Process or Sub-Process to enable a user to quickly determine the status or progress of an application. The colour is specified using the hexadecimal HTML notation, #RRGGBB. For example, #F6F6F6 would use an off-white colour in the cell.
- Set provides a simpler option of defining the colour of a Process or Sub-Process by using a colour picker with options to use the automatic colour, theme colours or standard colours.
- PId is the internal reference of the Process. This value can not be adjusted by the user.
- Click here to add new item (4) to add a new Process. Use Save Changes (1) to save the new configuration to the database.
With the exception of PId, all the fields for each Process can be changed by replacing the default values. User Save Changes (1) afterwards to ensure the new configuration is saved to the database.
Customising Sub Processes
While still in the Processes Workflow from the instructions above:
- Click the plus icon (1) next to the Process that contains the Sub Processes to update.
- To replace a default value, click in the appropriate field and enter the new information (2).
- Or to create a new a Sub-Process, use Click here to add a new item (3).
- Click the Save Changes button at the top of the window to commit the changes.
With the exception of SId, the field values are identical in purpose to the Process grid, above. SId is an internal reference used by ManagementStudio and can not be modified.
Further Support
If you require further support, please visit ManagementStudio's Service Desk to search the knowledge base or create a new support ticket.