Managing Software Developement

Implementing Configuration Management

Dr. James E. Tomayko

Objectives

At the conclusion of this unit,

  1. The student shall understand that configuration management is greater than mere version control.

  2. The student shall know the characteristics and limitations of existing configuration management systems.

  3. The student shall understand the differences between discrepancies and change requests.

  4. The student shall know the principles governing configuration control boards.

  5. The student shall know how control boards can be organized in a hierarchy.

  6. The student shall know key considerations in evaluating change requests and discrepancy reports.

  7. The student shall know the content of configuration management plans.

Activity One: Version control is only a small part of configuration management.

Configuration management is frequently confused with simple version control. To set the stage for this unit, watch the video Two Tales of Configuration Management.

Activity Two: Configuration Management Systems.

Read the SEI technical report Spectrum of Functionality in Configuration Management Systems, then answer the following questions in short paragraphs and submit your answers to the instructor:
  1. Give a taxonomy of levels of configuration management.

  2. How can you determine how much configuration management is "enough" for a particular project? What are the key factors determining the level of CM activity?

Activity Three: Discrepancies Versus Change Requests

A discrepancy is a failure to implement a requirement, either by omission or by injecting errors into the implementation. A change request is a suggestion for improvement of the software. Both result in come modification to the software or controlled documents. Both require evaluation in terms of cost, schedule, and technical impact.Look at the example of a [Picture of] Software Problem Report and answer the following questions in short paragraphs and submit your answers to the instructor:
  1. Why does the form include a section "documentation work?"

  2. What parts of the form are most applicable to a change request? Which are used for a discepancy report?

Activity Four: Configuration Control Boards and Evaluating Change

Read Summary of the SEI Workshop on Configuration Management and answer the following:

What are the key factors in evaluating change?

Activity Five: Hierarchies of Control Boards

Study the chart [Picture of] Heirarchies of Control Boards, which represents the layers of configuration control boards in a large civil transport project. Answer the following:
  1. Why is there an "Inherited Software CCB?"

  2. Who is likely to sit on the "Avionics Subsystem CCB?"

  3. In case of a lack of consensus in the Avionics Software CCB, who should have final say over the decision whether or not to make a change evaluated at that level, and why?

Activity Six: Software Configuration Management Planning

Read CM Plans: The Beginning to your CM Solution and answer the following:

Should configuration management plans be stand-alone documents or part of the Process Handbook in an organization? Why?

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