Configuration Management

Configuration
Management
Why Is Software Difficult
to Build?
 Lack of control
 Lack of monitoring
 Lack of traceability
 Uncontrolled changes
Conflicts in Team
Software Development
 Simultaneous updates – how to
prevent one person from undoing
the changes of another
 Shared and common code – how to
notify everyone who needs to
know about a change
 Versions – how to make changes to
all affected versions when needed
Software Configuration
Management Basics
 Identification – identifying software
configuration items in a baseline
 Control – controlling the release of a product
and changes to it throughout its lifecycle
 Status Accounting – recording and reporting
of the status of components and changes
 Auditing and Reviewing – Validating the
completeness of a product and that SCM
procedures are being followed
SCM Definitions
 Baseline – One or more software
configuration items that have been
formally reviewed and agreed upon and
serve as a basis for further development
 Software Configuration Item – A collection
of software elements treated as a unit for
the purposes of SCM
 Configuration – A collection of all the
elements of a baseline and a description
of how they fit together
SCM Definitions (cont’d)
 Configuration Control Board – Group
with the responsibility for reviewing and
approving changes to baselines
 Software – All of the code,
specifications, plans, descriptions,
processes, and documents associated
with a software development effort
 Version – A specific instance of a
baseline or configuration item
Examples of Configuration
Items
 Product concept specification
 Software project plans
 Software requirements specifications
 Software design descriptions
 Source code
 Database descriptions
 SCM procedures
 Software release processes
 Software test documents
 User documentation
 Maintenance documentation
Version Control
 Allows different projects to use the same
source files at the same time
 Isolates work that is not ready to be
shared by the rest of the project
 Isolates work that should never be
shared
 Allows software engineers to continue
development along a branch even when
a line of development is frozen
Change Control
 Proposed changes to baselines must have some
level of review
 The impact of proposed changes must be
identified and understood.
 When appropriate the approval of the CCB, key
managers and project members must be
obtained
 Approved changes must be properly implemented
 After changes are made all affected parties must
be notified
Baseline Management
 What baselines are required to be

defined and managed?
– Typically aligned with major milestones
– Applies to documents as well as code
 How is the current software
configuration defined?
– A snapshot of everything the product has
produced at some point in time
Baseline Management
(cont’d)
 Who must approve changes to baselines?
– Usually the Change Control Board (CCB)
 How and when are baselines created and
physically controlled?
– Through the use of document control
systems, code control tools, and procedures
to prevent the making of unapproved
changes
Baseline Management
(cont’d)
 How are people informed of changes?
– The CCB disseminates change information
 How are baselines verified?
– By reviews, inspections, and the testing of
code
 Are baselines tied to project milestones?
– Many are, but during coding many may not
be
Baseline Management
(cont’d)
 What information is required to process a
change to a baseline?
– A description of the proposed changes
– Reasons for making the changes
– List of other items affected by the changes
 What tools, resources, and training are
required to perform baseline change
assessment?
– File comparison tools to identify changes
– Resources and training depend on size and
complexity of project
Baseline Management
(cont’d)
 What metrics should be used to assess
changes to a baseline?
– Complexity
– Average module size
– Number of modules changed
– Number of bugs fixed and verified
– Code coverage
Baseline Management
(cont’d)
 How are unauthorized changes to source
code prevented, detected, and corrected?
– No way to prevent unauthorized changes
– Provide software engineers with training
– A commercial available SCM systems provide
adequate protection
– Unauthorized changes should be caught
during assessment procedures
Baseline Management
(cont’d)
 What tools, resources, and training are
required to perform baseline
management?
– A fully featured SCM tool
– On large projects a separate SCM group
may be needed
– SCM training is required for all involved in
the process
Workspace Management
 Software engineers need a consistent and
reproducible workspace area (a sandbox)
in which they can develop and debug
their code
 They need to be able to share project files
while shielding the project from the
instability of their evolving code
 SCM tools should provide such a capability
Baseline Change
Assessment
 Helps to identify recent changes that
may be responsible for problems
 Helps to ensure that only authorized
changes are made
Version Management
 Being able to reliably build and

recreate versions of a product as it
evolves and after it is released.
 Being able to retreat to a previous
version if necessary
 Being able to recreate all versions of
the product that customers have
Types of Audits
 In-process audits – verify the consistency of the
design as it evolves through the development
process
 Functional audits – verify that functionality and
performance are consistent with requirements
defined in the SRS
 Physical audits – verify that the as-built version of
software and documentation are internally
consistent and ready for delivery
 Quality system audits – independent assessment
of the compliance to the software QA plan
Configuration Status
Accounting Requirements
 Identifying the types of information
that project managers need
 Identifying the degree of control
needed by project management
 Identifying the reports required and
the different audiences for each report
 Identifying the information required to
produce each report
SCM Summary
 Change is inevitable
 Defined procedures are required to manage
change without preventing change
 Software presents many challenges from a
control, management, and tracking
perspective
 Knowing what you have and how you got
there is very important
 Being able to recreate exactly what is
delivered to customers is essential

Configuration Management

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Configuration

 What baselines are required to be

 Being able to reliably build and

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