IRM - VT Changes to the University Production Database

Virginia Tech Changes to the University Production Database

Changes to Virginia Tech production computing systems will be made only in accordance with established procedures (below). From time to time, emergencies will make precise compliance impossible, in which case staff will proceed in the spirit of the procedures, protecting and preserving the integrity of systems and data, and making a full report immediately.

Definitions:

Procedures:

To request a direct change to a Banner production system:

1. The project leader or technical leader will send an e-mail note requesting the change to a production technician. The request should list:
• the change itself,
• why the change is necessary (in business terms),
• any information required by the production technician to run the job,
• how the production technician can know that the job ran correctly,
• where to find the file containing the job script. The DB group has designated a "drop box" (/PRODDROP ) into which a job file must be placed,
• the location in which output from the job will be placed (e.g. an LIS. file, if the job was an SQL script),
• other factors as dictated by the situation.
2. A copy of the request will be sent to:
• the data trustee/steward
• other support staff whose data/areas the change might affect
• ais.qa@vt.edu

3. The data trustee/steward must approve the request and may do so by forwarding that approval over with a copy of the request to the production technician.

   Alternatively, a data trustee/steward may delegate authority to the project leader or technical leader so that approval is implied if the data trustee/ steward is copied on the original request to the production technician. The data trustee/steward is still responsible/accountable for the data and any changes made to it.

   Without an approval (expressed or implied), or if a concern is received in time from notified support staff in other areas, the production technician will not make the change. Responsibility rests with the requester to obtain approval and to resolve concerns expressed by others.

4. Once the request has been received and approved, the technical lead will execute (test) the job (or make the change) and will compare the results with what is expected. (Current procedures for SQR scripts making direct changes to the database allows this check to be done BEFORE the changes are committed to the data base) The production technician will work with the technical leader to resolve any problems.
5. After changes are committed, the production technician will send an e-mail to the project leader (with a copy to ais.qa@vt.edu) and make the results available to the project leader.
6. The project leader or designee is responsible for checking the results as needed to ensure that the changes were correct. If the changes are not correct, the production technician will back out the changes until resolution is achieved.

Any issues or complications not adequately covered by this procedure will be handled by those involved. John Krallman or Karen Herrington may be used as an arbiter until a proper role can be more clearly defined and assigned to handle that duty. Any actions taken will then be documented in a note to ais.qa@vt.edu so that

1. a record is created, and
2. adjustments to procedures can be made as necessary.

Production Banner Security Approval Matrix

*Effective 4/13/99:

• Changes to table and object security (roles, classes, etc.) in the development and production VTF instances will be accepted from the following VTF personnel only: Cindy Spangler, Dawn Crigger (VTF Controller)
• Changes to table and object security in the development and production VTF instances will be accepted from any of the above personnel and the following finance development personnel: Mark Hoppe.
• Changes to data value security in all instances will be maintained in the VTF Accounting Office.
• Any future changes to the above lists of authorized persons will be provided by the Controller, Virginia Tech Foundation (data custodian).

Note: The data trustee/steward, technical lead, and production technician can also serve as security officer approvers.

Revised: April 30, 2001

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Last updated February 9th, 2007