Skip to content

Rules for Approving and Rejecting Packages

These rules and restrictions apply to the approve package function.

  • Either the Planned Approval List or the Unplanned approval list is assigned when a package is created. The Unplanned Approval List is assigned to unplanned packaged that are created outside of Normal Business Hours defined in application administration. The planned approval list is assigned to all other packages.

  • The assignment of the Planned or Unplanned Approval List cannot be changed after the package is created except through the use of user exits. See Exit Programs for Approve Package Functions for details.

  • Planned approvals defined as Interfacing Approvals in other applications are assigned to your participating package when it is frozen if you have designated other applications as Affected Applications in your package.

  • If your application administrator changes the Planned Approval List or the Unplanned Approval List (including approver notifications) after your package is created, those changes are not reflected in your package unless you revert your package from a status of FRZ or higher.

  • After a package with an Unplanned Approval List is installed and baselined, the Planned Approval List is added to the package. Approvals that are on both lists are not added again. ChangeMan ZMF does not enforce the added approvals, but Report 120 Unplanned Packages Pending Post Approval can be used in your post-installation procedures to make sure approvers examine these packages and enter their approvals.

  • When an approver rejects a package, they must enter free form text (up to 10 lines) in Reject Reasons, which usually explain why the approver rejected the package and prevented installation.

  • If an approver rejects a package, the package must be reverted to DEV status. No other approver can approve or reject the package until the package is frozen again.

  • When a package is reverted, approvals that were entered previously are removed from the package.

  • If an approver flags a package as Under Review, approvals with the same sequence number (at same hierarchical level) can be entered, but approvals at higher sequence numbers cannot be entered.

Authorization for Approve Package Functions

Package approvers must have these privileges in your security system.

  • READ access to the security entity for the application.

  • UPDATE access to the security entity for the approval specified in the planned or unplanned approval list.

Administration Settings for Approve Package Functions

Your Global and Application Administrators make settings in ChangeMan ZMF administration that control how the approve package function works in your application. Ask your administrator if any of the following apply to your application.

  • Enforce the hierarchy of approval list definitions, or allow approvals to be entered in any order. (Application Administration Parameters: Hierarchical Approval Process)

  • Prohibit package creators from approving their own change package. (Application Administration Parameters: Package Creator Cannot Approve)

  • Prohibit anyone who has worked on a component in a package from approving the package. (Application Administration Parameters: Package Worker Cannot Approve)

  • Prohibit the same person from entering more than one approval for a change package. (Application Administration Parameters: Only 1 Approval Per User Id)

  • Create installation JCL at freeze or when the final approval is entered. (Application Administration Parameters: Build Install JCL At Approve)

Exit Programs for Approve Package Functions

Your ChangeMan ZMF installer or administrators may implement exit programs to alter the behavior ChangeMan ZMF. Ask your administrator if any of the following apply to your application.

  • Based on package conditions, automatically add more approvals to the Planned Approval List for planned packages or to the Unplanned Approval List for unplanned packages when a planned package is frozen or when an unplanned package is frozen and installed (exit program CMNEX009).

  • Restrict who can approve a package. (Exit program CMNEX010).