3. Maintenance Policies and Procedures › 3.2 User Maintenance Procedures › 3.2.2 User Change Control Procedure › 3.2.2.6 Notification and Documentation

3.2.2.6 Notification and Documentation

The modifications implemented in the previous section may
affect CA MICS complex operation, or the visible output of
CA MICS database units, or both.  Often a modification may
involve adding some data element to the CA MICS database as a
response to a user request.  Users may begin to use the data
element as soon as the modification has been integrated.
Occasionally, a modification may affect the record selection
algorithm to such a degree that modifications in input
preparation procedures must be made.

Either of the cases above requires some communication on the
part of the CA MICS System Administrator to some other group
in the organization.  Such notification of a CA MICS
modification is usually better received if made in advance.
That is, announce the day the implementation will be done
with several days "warning," so that changes in operation or
reporting can be made on a timely basis.

The CA MICS System Administrator Guide should be the focus of
documenting the modification.  The documentation format and
content used to disseminate information on the change within
the organization depends on the nature of the change.
However, the format and content of change documentation in
the System Administrator Guide is constant.

The System Administrator Guide's chapter 4, User Modification
Descriptions, contains blank User Modification Description
log sheets.  These sheets provide a convenient skeleton for
documenting the minimum amount of necessary information on
user-developed changes.  The information requested on this
form is useful and necessary, but may actually be a small
part of the complete documentation picture.

Some of the identifiers on the User Modification Description
form are specifically designed to refer to a user-oriented
filing system.  The documentation and working notes generated
during approval and design phases of the modification
development can be saved.  Such information typically fits in
a small packet, and can be filed directly in the System
Administrator Guide.  An attractive alternative filing method
is to use the user modification number to index a complete
file on the modification.  Such a file could easily contain
not only the design material, but also code listings (before
and after), IEBUPDTE listings, and test results.  This scheme
has advantages in being able to reconstruct the
implementation process.