Configuration Management Fundamentals

Software Technology Support Center

The U.S. Air Force’s Software Technology Support Center offers an updated and condensed version of the “Guidelines for
Successful Acquisition and Management of Software-Intensive Systems” (GSAM) on its Web site <www.stsc.hill.af.mil/
resources/tech_docs>. This article is taken from Chapter 9 “Configuration Management” of the GSAM (Ver. 4.0). We
are pleased that all editions have been so well received and that many individuals and programs have worked hard to imple-
ment the principles contained therein. The latest edition provides a usable desk reference that gives a brief but effective overview
of important software acquisition and development topics, provides checklists for rapid self-inspection, and provides pointers
to additional information on the topics covered.

C hange is a constant feature of soft-

ware development. To eliminate
change is to remove the opportunities to
uated to determine their overall contribu-
tion to the project goals. Do they lead to
improvements or do they ultimately
6. Enables consistent conformance with
requirements.
7. Provides a stable working environ-
take advantage of lessons learned, to impede or lower project quality? Even ment.
incorporate advancing technology, and to those changes that are ultimately benefi- 8. Enhances compliance with standards.
better accommodate a changing environ- cial must be controlled in their introduc- 9. Enhances status accounting.
ment. Refusal to incorporate change can tion and implementation. In short, CM can provide cost effec-
mean system limitations and early obso- Putting a bigger engine in a plane may tive project insurance when properly
lescence, which, in the world of technol- improve its capabilities, but it cannot be planned, organized, and implemented. It
ogy, can sign your system’s death certifi- implemented until the aircraft’s structure must be integral to your overall project
cate before it is born. However, change is has been found capable or been upgraded execution, and to your charter/customer
not universally benign and must be con- to support the increased weight and agreement. Proposed changes must be
trolled in its introduction to a project. thrust. dealt with systematically, promptly, and
All projects change something. As a Configuration management (CM) is honestly [1]. If the CM process is unrea-
project is executed, changes to the initial the process of controlling and document- sonable or unresponsive, people will try to
project plan and products are a natural ing change to a developing system. It is circumvent the process, leading to chaos
occurrence. The following are common part of the overall change management and a loss of the benefits of true CM.
sources of changes: approach. As the size of an effort increas-
• Requirements. The longer the delivery es, so does the necessity of implementing Process Description
cycle, the more likely they will change. effective CM. It allows large teams to While CM is a major element of a change
• Changes in funding. work together in a stable environment control program, it is such a multifaceted
• Technology advancements. while still providing the flexibility required discipline that it should be considered not
• Solutions to problems. for creative work [2]. CM in a software simply as another activity, but as a pro-
• Scheduling constraints. environment is an absolute necessity. CM gram in and of itself. Establishing an
• Customer expectations. has three major purposes [1]: effective CM program requires an under-
• Serendipitous (unexpected) opportu- 1. Identify the configuration of the standing of CM functions and of the
nities for an improved system. product at various points in time. overall CM process.
Some of these changes may appear as 2. Systematically control changes to the
options while others may be mandated configuration.
from above or by circumstance, as in the 3. Maintain the integrity and traceability
Functions of Configuration

loss of funding. While all progress is of the configuration throughout the CM is comprised of four primary func-
Management

accompanied by change, not all change is product life cycle. tions: identification, change control, sta-
indicative of progress. If not properly CM accomplishes these purposes by tus accounting, and auditing. These are
handled, change can slip the schedule, answering and recording the answers to shown in Figure 2, along with their sub-
affect the quality, and even kill the project. the change questions: who, what, when, functions. All CM activity falls within the
As a project draws closer to its comple- and why, shown in Figure 1 [1]. Being able bounds of these functions.
tion, the impacts of change are more to answer these questions is a sign of
severe [1]. Clearly, a mechanism is needed effective CM.
to control change. Effective CM provides the following This function identifies those items
Identification

In software development and other essential benefits to a project: whose configuration needs to be con-
projects, proposed changes must be eval- 1. Reduces confusion and establishes trolled, usually consisting of hardware,
Figure 1: Configuration Management Questions order. software, and documentation. These
2. Organizes the activities necessary to items would probably include such things
maintain product integrity. as specifications, designs, data, docu-
3. Ensures correct product configura- ments, drawings, software code and exe-
Who makes changes?

tions. cutables, components of the software

4. Limits legal liability by providing a engineering environment (compilers, link-
What changes are made? When are changes made?

record of actions. ers, loaders, hardware environment, etc.),

Why are changes made?
5. Reduces life-cycle costs. and hardware components and assem-

10 CROSSTALK The Journal of Defense Software Engineering July 2005

ure 1: Configuration Management Questions
 Table 1: Items Under CM Control
Configuration Management Fundamentals
Management
blies. Project plans and guiding docu-
ments should also be included, especially
Data Identify

the project requirements. A schema of

Identification Configuration

names and numbers is developed for

Requirements Items
Identify Document Configuration Items,

accurately identifying products and their

Acceptance Requirements, Identification
Scheme, Baselines

configuration or version level. This must

Requirements

be done in accordance with project iden-

Establish

tification requirements. Finally, a baseline

Maintain Product Define Establish
Description Identification Change
Identification Baselines

configuration is established for all config-

Records Schema Criteria

uration items and systems. Any changes

to the baseline must be with the concur-
Maintain Establish Review
Configuration and Control

rence of the configuration control organ-

Verification Records Organizations
Status

ization [2].
Change
Accounting Control

Although key components to be man-

Maintain Establish
Change Status Change Control

aged are requirements and source code,

Records Procedures

related documentation and data should be

identified and placed under CM control.
Maintain History Auditing Control Revisions to
of Change Specifications,

It is important to store and track all envi-

Approvals Designs, Drawings,

ronment information and support tools

Data, and Documents
Formal Functional

used throughout the software life cycle to

Qualification Configuration
Physical

ensure that the software can be repro-

Reviews Audits
Configuration

duced. Table 1 lists examples of items

Audits

typically put under CM control. Figure 2: Major Functions of Configuration Management [2]
resource usage, stock status (status of all
Figure 2:Status
Majoraccounting
Functionsis oftheConfiguration
documentationManagement
configuration[2]
items), changes in process,
Status Accounting

Configuration control establishes proce-

Change Control
function of CM. Its primary purpose is to and agreed-upon deviations [6].
dures for proposing or requesting maintain formal records of established
changes, evaluating those changes for configurations and make regular reports Auditing
desirability, obtaining authorization for of configuration status. These records Effective CM requires regular evaluation
changes, publishing and tracking changes, should accurately describe the product, of the configuration. This is done
and implementing changes. This function and are used to verify the configuration of through the auditing function, where the
also identifies the people and organiza- the system for testing, delivery, and other physical and functional configurations are
tions who have authority to make changes activities. Status accounting also maintains compared to the documented configura-
at various levels (configuration item, a history of change requests and authori- tion. The purpose of auditing is to main-
assembly, system, project, etc.,) and those zations, along with status of all approved Who
tain the integrity of the baseline and
who make up the configuration control
makes changes?
changes. This includes the answers to the release configurations for all controlled
board(s) (CCB). (According to IEEE CM questions in Figure 1 [2]. products [2]. Auditing is accomplished via
610.12 [3], a CCB is a group of people Key information about the project both informal monitoring and formal
responsible for evaluating and approving and configuration itemsWhatcan bechanges
communi-arereviews.
or disapproving proposed changes to
made? When are changes made?
cated to project members through status Configuration auditing verifies that
configuration items, and for ensuring accounting. Software engineers can see the software product is built according to
implementation of approved changes.) what fixes or files were included in which the requirements, standards, or contractu-
Additionally, various change criteria baseline. Project managers can track com- Whyal agreement. Test reports
made?and documen-
are defined as guidelines for the control
are changes
pletion of problem reports and various tation are used to verify that the software
organizations. Different types of configu- other maintenance activities. Minimal meets the stated requirements. The goal
ration items or different systems will reports to be completed include transac- of a configuration audit is to verify that all
probably need different control proce- tion log, change log, and item delta report. software products have been produced,
dures and involve different people. For Other typically common reports include correctly identified and described, and
example, software configuration control
Table 1: Items Under CM Control
Figure 1: Configuration Management Questions
has different needs and involves different
people than communications configura-
tion control and would probably require Items Under CM Control
different control rules and a different
control board [2]. Configuration change
System data files Source code modules
Requirements specifications System build files/scripts
control activities include the following: Design specifications Interface specifications
• Defining the change process. Test plans Software architecture specifications
• Establishing change control policies Test data sets Test procedures
and procedures. User documentation Test results
• Maintaining baselines. Quality plans Software development plan
• Processing changes. Compilers Configuration management plans
• Developing change report forms. Debuggers Linkers and loaders
• Controlling release of the product. Shell scripts Operating systems
A generic software change process is
Other related support tools Third-party tools
identified in Figure 3 (see next page).
Development procedures and standards [4] Procedure language descriptions

July 2005 www.stsc.hill.af.mil 11

Table 1: Items Under CM Control
 Configuration Management and Test

Requirements Specification and the • Provides for the storage and recovery
Interface Requirements Specification. In of archive versions of configuration
Software Software

other words, the FCA allows you to vali- items or units.

Problems
Change Enhancements

date the system against the requirements. • Helps to ensure correct creation of
The PCA determines whether the design products from the software baseline
and reference documents represent the
Review

library.
Board Analyze

software that was built. Configuration • Provides storage, update, and retrieval
and
Assess Impact

audit answers the questions, “Does the of CM records.

system satisfy the requirements?” “Are all • Supports production of CM reports.
changes incorporated in this version?” • Provides for maintenance of library
Engineering
Change Proposal

Configuration audit activities include the structure [7].

Preparation

following: In the past, libraries have been com-

• Defining audit schedule and proce- posed of documentation on hard copy
Control Software Software
Problems

dures.
Board Change Enhancements

and software on machine-readable media.

Evaluate

• Identifying who will perform the Today, with the advances in information
Engineering
Change

audits. technology and standards that encourage

Proposal

• Performing audits on established

Review

contractors to use automated processing

Board Analyze

baselines. and electronic submittal techniques,

Incorporate Yes No Archive and

• Generating audit reports.

Approve?

organizations are moving toward main-

Change Change Assess Impact

taining all information on machine-read-

Establishing a Software
Engineering able media.
Baseline Library
In support of the above activities, a soft-
Change Proposal
Verify Supply Preparation

ware baseline library is established. The

Change Feedback
to Originator Configuration Management
library is the heart of the CM system. It Process
Understanding what CM is supposed to
Control

serves as the repository for the work

accomplish is one thing. Putting it into
END Board

Figure 3: Generic Change Process [5] products created during the software life
practice is another. As with most project
Evaluate

cycle. Changes to baselines, and the

Engineering

that all change requests have been release of software products, are system- activities, CM begins with planning. With
Change
Plan CM Program Proposal

Define resolved according to established CM a plan, configuration baselines can be

Procure CM Tools atically controlled via the change control
processes and procedures. Informal established. Following this initial configu-
CM Identify Control Develop or

and configuration auditing functions. The

Board Members

ration identification, the cyclical configu-

Process

audits are conducted at Change key phases of the software library provides the following:
Incorporate Yes No Archive

ration control process is put into motion.

Approve?

software life cycle. • Supports multiple control levels of

Change

ThereEstablish
are two types of formal audits Software Configuration Management These three major CM implementation
activities are shown in Figure 4.
Baselines
that are conducted before the Develop
software is (SCM).
delivered to the customer: Functional of Identifiers • Provides for the storage and retrieval
Identify Items Identify Baselines Schema

Configuration Audit (FCA) Verify and Physical Supply

of configuration items or units.
to Control

Planning begins by defining the CM

Planning
Configuration Audit (PCA). FCA verifiesto Originator • Provides for the sharing and transfer
Change Feedback

that the softwareand satisfies the software of configuration items or units be- process and establishing procedures for
requirements stated in the System tween control levels within the library. controlling and documenting change. A
Control, Document, Audit Configuration

crucial action is the designation of mem-

nges and Figure 4: Configuration Management
and History – Implementation Process
Track Audit – Compare

bers of the CCB. Members should be

te Proposed Update Baselines END
Approved Actual With

chosen who are directly or indirectly

Changes to Documented
e/Disapprove Publish Reports

involved or affected by changes in config-

Closure Configuration

uration. For example, a software CCB

Plan CM Program

would obviously be populated with repre-

Define CM Identify Control Develop or
sentatives from different software teams,
Process Board Members Procure CM Tools

but software affects many more aspects

of a project. There should also be repre-
sentatives from the hardware, test, sys-
tems, security, and quality groups as well
Establish Baselines

as representatives from project manage-

ment and possible other organizations.
Identify Items Identify Baselines Develop Schema

Not all changes would be reviewed by

to Control of Identifiers

this august body. Changes occur at differ-

ent system levels and affect different por-
tions of the overall system. Many changes
Control, Document, and Audit Configuration
will probably only affect a small subset of
the system and could therefore be
Track Audit – Compare
Evaluate Proposed Update Baselines
reviewed and approved by a smaller
Approved Actual With
Changes and and History –
group. Some sort of delineation of
Changes to Documented
Approve/Disapprove Publish Reports

change levels should be made during

Closure Configuration

planning to keep change decisions at the

proper level. While software CM is essen-

12 CROSSTALK The Journal of Defense Software Engineering July 2005

 Configuration Management Fundamentals

tial, there may need to be other CCBs to ate configuration baseline is then updated, menting and submitting proposed
control change in other areas of the proj- along with all other applicable documents, changes?
ect. Again, this is something that should and reports are published and sent to Is the CCB active and responsible in
be worked out in the planning phase. affected organizations indicating the evaluating and approving changes?
❑

Various software tools exist that can changes that have occurred. At selected Is there a higher authority to appeal to
facilitate the CM process flow and main- time intervals and whenever there appears when the CCB gets hung, and cannot
❑

tain configuration history. Using a CM to be a need, products and records are come to a consensus?
software tool is highly recommended. audited to ensure the following: Are all changes tracked until they are
The temptation will be to choose a tool • The actual configuration matches the fully implemented?
❑

because it looks good in a demonstration documented configuration. Are all changes fully documented in
and then build the CM process around it. the baseline documents and change
❑
• The configuration is in conformance
The process should be defined first, and with project requirements. histories?
then a tool chosen to facilitate the • Records of all change activity are Are regular reports and configuration
process. updates published and distributed to
❑
complete and up-to-date.
The controlling, documenting, auditing interested organizations?
cycle is repeated throughout the project Are regular audits and reviews per-
Once the CM program exists on paper, it formed to evaluate configuration
Establishing Baselines ❑
until its completion.
must be determined just what configura- integrity?
tions it will control. The second major Are configuration errors dealt with in
step of implementing effective CM is an efficient and timely manner?
Updating the CM Process ❑
It is unlikely a perfect CM program will be
identifying what items, assemblies, code, assembled during the initial planning
data, documents, systems, etc. will fall stage. There will be learning and changes
under configuration control. With the ❑ Is the CM program itself – its effi-
Updating the Process
in the program that indicate a need for
configuration items identified, the base- adjustments in the CM process. These ciency, responsiveness, and accuracy –
line configuration must be identified for may be any mixture of modifications to evaluated regularly?
each item. For items that already exist, it make it more efficient, responsive, or ❑ Is the CM program modified to
may prove to be nothing more than exam- accurate. When changes in the CM include recommended improvements
ining or reviewing and then documenting. process are needed, consider them as you when needed?
For those items that have not been devel- would any other changes, get the approval
oped yet, their configuration exists in the of all participating organizations, and Case Studies
requirements database or in the project implement them as appropriate. It would The following case studies outline specif-
plans. Until they come into physical or be ironic indeed to have an unchanging ic instances where organizations success-
software reality, changes to their configu- change process. fully implemented software CM (SCM).
ration will consist only of changes to the
requirements or plans.
Another essential activity in this step At a large aerospace corporation in the
Configuration Management Selecting a CM Tool

is developing a schema of numbers, let- Checklist Southeast, the CM manager turned in a

ters, words, etc. to accurately describe the This checklist is provided to assist you in recommendation to purchase a CM auto-
configuration revision, or version, for establishing an effective CM program. If mated tool that would satisfy all require-
each general type of configuration item. you cannot answer a question affirmative- ments identified by the CM groups.
There may be project requirements that ly, you should carefully examine the situa- Management delayed acting on the rec-
dictate some type of nomenclature, or tion and take appropriate action. ommendation to give the other engineer-
there may be an organizational or indus- ing departments time to review the rec-
try standard that can be used as the basis ommended tool.
❑ Have you planned and documented a
CM Planning
for configuration identification. In the end, the recommendation to
configuration management process? purchase the tool was cancelled. It was
❑ Have you identified CCB members for felt that while the tool did support the
When the baselines have been established, each needed control board? CM organization, it did not adequately
Controlling, Documenting, and Auditing

the challenge becomes one of keeping the ❑ Has CM software been chosen to address other developmental considera-
actual and documented configurations facilitate your CM process? tions that the engineering ranks felt were
identical. Additionally, these baselines important. Sometime later a different tool
must conform to the configuration speci- was purchased, one that satisfied all the
❑ Have all configuration items been
Establishing Baselines
fied in the project requirements. This is an major requirements of SCM, the software
iterative process consisting of the four identified? developers, SQA, test, integration, and
steps shown in Figure 4. ❑ Have baselines been established for all management organizations.
All changes to the configuration are configuration items?
reviewed and evaluated by the appropriate ❑ Has a descriptive schema been devel-
configuration control representatives oped to accurately identify configura- During a recent visit to a private-sector
Overcoming Barriers to SCM

specified in the CM plan. The change is tion items and changes to their config- corporation (i.e., they did not deal with
either approved or disapproved. Both uration? government contracts) in New England,
approvals and disapprovals are document- it was discovered that the developer’s
ed in the CM history. Approved changes Controlling, Documenting, and major concern about implementing CM
are published and tracked or monitored activities was all the restrictions they would
❑ Is there a formal process for docu-
Auditing
until they are implemented. The appropri- have to deal with. They had been led to

July 2005 www.stsc.hill.af.mil 13

Configuration Management and Test

believe that CM meant formal controls, file used in the system including change work force.
restricted access, limited ability to apply documents, baselines, and releases for • Control Transitions. Informal to
creative solutions, and so on. When it was each file. Note that rule-based, closed- formal to field.
suggested that data can transition to for- loop change control electronically imple- • Records Retention. What gets kept
mally controlled baselines through a series mented business rules that prevented the where and for how long?
of informal control steps, and that CM creation of a new version without author- • Control. Who controls what and how
did not mean a lockdown and bottleneck, ization and prevented closure of a change do they do it?
they became eager to be involved. After a request that had not been implemented. • Process. Standardized procedures for
number of meetings, a phased approach A change-package approach supports repeatability.
to formal CM allowed for the placement electronic creation of new baselines by
of informal controls and data gathering application of changes to a previous base-
which led to baselined items. Everyone line. The tool electronically adds, replaces, The most significant lessons are the fol-
Things to Remember

was pleased with the process. or removes files that are related to the list lowing:
The developers soon realized they of changes being made and is very effec- • Get an inside person on your side – an
could work together with CM as a team to tive in tracking development activities. internal champion. They will become
solve problems rather than as two sepa- (Note that Effective SCM is an unregistered an evangelist for your solution to their
rate organizations with their own con- trademark of BOBEV Consulting. For a co-workers.
cerns and desired solutions. More impor- complete description, see “Effective • Get management buy-in and sponsor-
tantly, perhaps, the CM group learned Software Configuration Management” in ship. Management must really want it,
that when they got out of their corner CrossTalk February 1998.) not just go along with it. All levels of
office and out onto the engineering floor management need to support SCM.
(being support and service oriented) they Lessons Learned While implementing SCM, keep a
quickly became an integral part of the The following are just a sample of the many focus on management sponsorship at
engineering and development process lessons that have been learned from apply- all times.
and team. ing CM and its associated technologies. • Maintain a sense of humor.
• Be flexible and sensitive to corporate
culture.
With only a few exceptions, if you look at • Seek out the early success.
Implementing CM With an The Importance of Planning

A team of 35 to 40 developers was devel- any of the CM standards, manuals, guides, • Do not use a critical project as pilot.
Electronic Database

oping six computer software configura- books, etc., you will likely find that CM • Use a systems approach: Where am I?
tion items, which all had two or more cus- has four major functions: (1) identifica- Where do I want to go? How am I
tomer variants as well as maintenance tion, (2) change control, (3) status going to get there?
variants. The operating system was Unix, accounting, and (4) auditing. In nearly • Success is more likely with lots of
and the development languages were every case, planning is left out. Yet, SCM preparation, focus on CM and devel-
Ada, C, and C++. Implementing classical is using much more complex equipment oper needs, breadth of participation,
CM in this type of environment would to establish and maintain complex envi- online access to sample process and
normally require three to four CM practi- ronments, multiple baselines, multiple planning templates, and standard ter-
tioners to handle all the code and docu- environments on multiple platforms, etc. minology.
ment manipulations. The team chose Like everyone else, CM has to do all that • Keep it simple. If it is too complex, or
instead to implement a mostly developer- faster, cheaper, smarter, and better than gets in the way, it will not get used.
executed CM system called Effective SCM. before. Planning has become more • Communicate, communicate, commu-
They implemented a Software Query important than ever. nicate.◆
Language-compliant, database driven, Planning cannot be interpreted as
process oriented CM system, which sup- meaning a CM Plan has been written. That is References
ports a rule-based, closed-loop, change- certainly a good start, but much more is 1. Software Technology Support Center.
package approach to development. needed than just a document that explains “Life Cycle Software Project Manage-
Daily interaction with the CM system SCM’s roles and responsibilities. CM plan- ment.” STSC Seminar, 9 Oct. 2001.
by the developers provided 100 percent ning activities must also include, to name 2. Software Program Managers Net-
tracking and status accounting of every- only a few, such things as the following: work. “Little Book of Configuration
thing that happened to any file in the sys- • Metrics. How long? How many arti- Management.” Software Program
tems without the need for intrusion or facts? When were they created? When Managers Network, Nov. 1998 <www.
interference by CM practitioners. The CM were they updated? Where are they? spmn.com/products.html>.
practitioners maintained the process • Skill Mix. What is needed and who 3. Institute of Electrical and Electronics
model and performed the configured has it or who can get it? Engineers. “Standard 610.12-1990
builds. As a result, CM support to this • Infrastructure. Who is doing what, IEEE Standard Glossary of Software
team was less than one person, and in fact where, when, and how? Engineering Terminology.” New
was in the order of 80-120 hours per • Contingencies. If this happens, then York: IEEE, 1990.
month instead of the more than 400 what? 4. Kasse, Tim. Software Configuration
hours per month that a classical approach • Effort Tracking. Manpower levels. Management for Project Leaders.
would have used. • Subcontracts. Who has responsibility Proc. of Software Technology Con-
The electronic database created by the and authority? ference, Apr. 1997.
engineers completely documented the • Resources. Budget, tool licenses, 5. Berblack, Ronald H. Software Config-
execution of their software development training, and head count. uration Management. John Wiley &
plan. It also tracked the history of every • Matrix Management. Decentralized Sons, New York, 1992.

14 CROSSTALK The Journal of Defense Software Engineering July 2005

 Configuration Management Fundamentals

6. Ben-Menachem, Mordechai. Software

Configuration Management Guide- About the Author
book. McGraw-Hill, 1994.
7. Olson, Timothy G., et al. “A Software The Software Technology Support methods, techniques, and tools that
Process Framework for the SEI Capa- Center (STSC) produced the “Guide- enhance human capability. The STSC
bility Maturity Model: Repeatable Lev- lines for Successful Acquisition and offers consulting services for software
el.” CMU/SEI-93-TR-7. Pittsburgh, Management of Software-Intensive process improvement, software technolo-
PA: Software Engineering Institute, Systems.” Visit the STSC Web site at gy adoption, and software technology
1993. <www.stsc.hill.af.mil/resources/tech_ evaluation, including the Capability
docs> to access all 17 chapters of this Maturity Model® IntegrationSM, software
CrossTalk did not have room to
document. The STSC is dedicated to acquisition, project management, risk
cover the fundamentals of testing in this
helping the Air Force and other U.S. gov- management, cost and schedule estima-
month’s theme section, “Configuration
ernment organizations improve their tion, configuration management, soft-
Management and Test.” The Guidelines
capability to buy and build software bet- ware measurement, and more.
for Successful Acquisition and Manage-
ment of Software-Intensive Systems ter. The STSC provides hands-on assis-
(GSAM) is also a good source for infor- tance in adopting effective technologies
for software-intensive systems. The STSC
Software Technology
mation on the basics of testing and
helps organizations identify, evaluate, and
Support Center
many other software topics. For more
6022 Fir AVE BLDG 1238
information on test, see Chapter 12 of adopt technologies that improve software Hill AFB, UT 84056-5820
GSAM Ver.. 4.0 at <http://www.stsc. product quality, production efficiency, Phone: (801) 586-0154
hill.af.mil/resources/tech_docs/gsam4. and predictability. Technology is used in DSN: 586-0154
html>. its broadest sense to include processes, E-mail: [email protected]

WEB SITES
Configuration Management Data Interchange Standards Association
Yellow Pages http://www.disa.org
www.cmcrossroads.com/yp/index.php?oldpage= Home to numerous organizations developing e-business stan-
configuration_management.html dards, the Data Interchange Standards Association helps indi-
The Configuration Management Yellow Pages is a categorized viduals and the business community improve business process-
database of links to configuration management and develop- es, reduce costs, increase productivity, and take advantage of
ment resources. The site, originally created by Andre van der new opportunities.
Hoek, is now hosted at CM Crossroads in a format that allows
any member to add or update a new resource and to review and Software Technology Support Center
rate existing ones. www.stsc.hill.af.mil
The Software Technology Support Center is an Air Force organ-
Test and Measurement World ization established to help other U.S. government organizations
www.tmworld.com identify, evaluate, and adopt technologies to improve the quali-
This is the online version of Test & Measurement World and Test ty of their software products, efficiency in producing them, and
& Measurement Europe, which cover the electronics testing to accurately predict the cost and schedule of their delivery.
industry, providing how-to information for engineers who test,
measure, and inspect electronic devices, components, and sys-
Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers
tems. www.ieee.org
The IEEE promotes the engineering process of creating, devel-
Software Configuration Management oping, integrating, sharing, and applying knowledge about elec-
www.sei.cmu.edu/legacy/scm trical and information technologies and sciences. IEEE provides
This is the Software Configuration Management area of the technical publications, conferences, career development assis-
Software Engineering Institute’s (SEI) Web site. This area is tance, financial services and more.
intended to share the configuration management research done
by the SEI between 1988 and 1994 and to provide pointers to Practical Software and Systems
other useful sources of information on Software Configuration Measurement
Management. www.psmsc.com
Practical Software and Systems Measurement (PSM): A
Software Testing Institute Foundation for Objective Project Management was developed
www.softwaretestinginstitute.com to meet today's software and system technical and management
The Software Testing Institute (STI) provides industry publica- challenges. The Department of Defense and the U.S. Army
tions, research, and online services, including a software testing sponsor PSM. The goal of the project is to provide project man-
discussion forum, the STI Resource Guide, the Automated agers with the objective information needed to successfully meet
Testing Handbook, STI Buyer’s Guide, and more. cost, schedule, and technical objectives on programs.

July 2005 www.stsc.hill.af.mil 15