Automated change approval

Abstract

An automated method for facilitating management of a data processing environment is disclosed. In various embodiments, the method may include facilitating creation of a first memorialization, in digital form, of first one or more changes made to a first data processing device of the data processing environment. In various embodiments, the method may further include facilitating creation of a second and a third memorialization, both in digital form, of second and third one or more changes made to a second and a third data processing device of the data processing environment, respectively. In various embodiments, the method may still further include facilitating automated approval of the second and third changes made to the second and third data processing devices, using the first, second and third memorializations. Other embodiments of the present invention may include, but are not limited to, apparatus adapted to facilitate practice of the above-described method.

1 . An automated method for facilitating management of a data processing environment comprising: 
 facilitating creation in digital form, a first memorialization of first one or more changes made to a first data processing device of the data processing environment;    facilitating creation in digital form, a second and a third memorialization of second and third one or more changes made to a second and a third data processing device of the data processing environment, respectively; and    facilitating automated approval of the second and third changes made to the second and third data processing devices, using the first, second and third memorializations.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said facilitating of creation comprises facilitating automated application of the first one or more changes to the first data processing device, and facilitating automated comparison of a pre-application of the first one or more changes state of the first data processing device to a post-application of the first one or more changes state of the first data processing device to create a first file of first one or more records of the application of said first one or more changes to said first one or more data processing device.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said facilitating of creation comprises facilitating automated application of the second one or more changes to the second data processing device, and facilitating automated comparison of a pre-application of the second one or more changes state of the second data processing device to a post-application of the second one or more changes state of the second data processing device to create a second file of second one or more records of the application of said second one or more changes to said second data processing device.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said facilitating of automated approval of the second and third changes made to the second and third data processing devices comprises facilitating automated comparison of the second and third memorializations to the first memorialization.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first, second and third memorializations comprise a first, a second, and a third file of a first, a second, and a third one or more records of the application of the first, second and third changes made to the first, second and third data processing devices respectively, and said facilitating of automated comparison of the second and third memorializations to the first memorialization comprises facilitating automated comparison of the second and third files of second and third one or more records to the first file of first one or more records.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said facilitating of comparison comprises facilitating automated comparison of a change to a software in either the second or third data processing device, to a corresponding change to a corresponding software of the first data processing device.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said facilitating of comparison comprises facilitating automated comparison of a change to a data in either the second or third data processing device, to a corresponding change to a corresponding device of the first data processing device.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the method further comprises facilitating definition in digital form, one or more responses to one or more detected differences during said automated comparison of the second and third memorializations to the first memorialization.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more responses include a no-action automatic approval response to a detected difference.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more responses include an automatic remediation or alert response to a detected difference.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said automated comparison of the second and third memorializations to the first memorialization are performed substantially concurrently.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises facilitating definition of the second and third data processing units as members of a group of data processing units, to facilitate said substantial concurrent performance of said second and third memorializations to the first memorialization.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second data processing device is a device selected from the group consisting of a networking device, a server, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular phone, a set top box, and a media player.  
     
     
         14 . An automated method of managing a computing environment, comprising: 
 facilitating definition in digital form, one or more automated responses to detected differences during automated processing of changes made to one or more data processing devices, including a no-action automatic approval response to a detected difference; and    facilitating employment of the definition in automated processing and approval of changes made to one or more data processing devices.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said facilitating of definition in digital form, one or more automated responses to detected differences during processing of changes made to one or more data processing devices, further includes facilitating definition in digital form, an automatic remediation or alert response to a detected difference.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said facilitating of employment comprises facilitating employment of the definition in substantially concurrent automated processing of changes made to a plurality of data processing devices that are members of a logical data processing device group.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a memorialization module adapted to 
 facilitate creation of a first memorialization of first one or more changes made to a first data processing device of the data processing environment, and  
 facilitate creation of a second and a third memorialization of second and third one or more changes made to a second and a third data processing devices of the data processing environment, respectively; and  
   an automatic change approval module operatively coupled to the memorialization module to facilitate approval of the second and third changes made to the second and third data processing devices, using the first, second and third memorializations.    
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said memorialization module is adapted to facilitate application of the first one or more changes to the first data processing device, and facilitate comparison of a pre-application of the first one or more changes state of the first data processing device to a post-application of the first one or more changes state of the first data processing device to create a first file of first one or more records of the application of said first one or more changes to said first one or more data processing device.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said memorialization module is adapted to facilitate application of the second one or more changes to the second data processing device, and facilitating comparison of a pre-application of the second one or more changes state of the second data processing device to a post-application of the second one or more changes state of the second data processing device to create a second file of second one or more records of the application of said second one or more changes to said second data processing device.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said automatic change approval module is adapted to facilitate comparison of the second and third memorializations to the first memorialization.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a response definition module adapted to facilitate definition of one or more responses to one or more detected differences during said comparison of the second and third memorializations to the first memorialization.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more responses include a no-action automatic approval response to a detected difference.  
     
     
         23 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a response definition module adapted to facilitate definition of one or more responses to detected differences during processing of changes made to one or more data processing devices, including a no-action automatic approval response to a detected difference; and    an automatic change approval module operative coupled to the response definition module, and adapted to facilitate employment of the definition in processing and automatic approval of changes made to one or more data processing devices.    
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the response definition module is further adapted to facilitating definition of an automatic remediation or alert response to a detected difference.  
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the automatic change approval module is adapted to facilitate employment of the definition in substantially concurrent processing of changes made to a plurality of data processing devices that are members of a logical data processing device group.