To provide real-world context to the step-by-step procedures, we have created a fictitious scenario that takes place at a fictitious company, Woodgrove Bank.

The Woodgrove Bank customization scenario illustrates how Ken Myer, a server application developer for Woodgrove Bank, can easily extend the default change management process to support a new compliance change request process that the organization needs. The new compliance change request process will automatically add new computers to Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) groups so that the group software policies apply to the new computers.

Note
Some procedures in the Woodgrove Bank customization scenario rely on standard usage of the Service Manager console. This guide does not provide details for these common procedures. For more information about these procedures, see the Service Manager Administration Guide (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=178233).

Although there are many steps in extending the change management process, Ken has to think about four main things.

Creating a New Custom Activity

A standard change request consists of two activities, a default review activity, and a default manual activity. In the new compliance change request process, Ken will perform the default review activity first, but the second activity is customized. Ken will create a new custom change request activity that uses a Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) workflow to automatically add a computer to an AD DS group. Automating this change request process means that after the change is approved, the change will be completed without further user interaction. The custom activity is at the core of the new compliance change request process.

Creating Additional Custom Objects

Additionally, Ken will create new custom objects, such as a template, a queue, and a view to support working with the new type of activity. If e-mail notifications are configured in the environment, in the final steps of the scenario, Ken can configure e-mail notifications to send confirmation e-mail messages after the activity is complete.

Saving the Custom Objects in a Management Pack

Ken saves the custom objects to the Automated Activity: Add Computer to AD Group management pack so that he can transfer these objects between the Service Manager console and the System Center Service Manager Authoring Tool.

Using the Customized Process

Eventually, after Ken imports the custom management pack into System Center Service Manager 2010 and completes the creation of all the necessary custom objects, he can use the new process for compliance change requests. He creates a new compliance change request to add the ADComputer1 computer to the GP_AUTHAPPS AD DS group. He can then monitor the process to confirm that the new computer is successfully added to the group.

See Also