Software Configuration Management

1
Software Configuration Management
METU Computer Engineering CEng 492 Spring'2004
2
Software development process

• The larger the software, the harder to maintain
  it.
• When a change required
• Who will do it?
• How will s/he do it?
• How will the change incorporated in the whole
  software?
• How to guarantee change will not inject any other
  troubles?
• After a change made
• When it is made?
• Who made it, why s/he made it?

3
Software Configuration Management

• Standard definition
• Identification identifying components, structure
• Control controlling releases and changes
• Status accounting recording, reporting status
• Audit and review validating completeness
• Traditional CM check-in, check-out of sources,
  builds, compilation.
• Process Management control of the software
  activities (test, documentation, review).
  Ensuring life-cycle model

4
Change Control Process

• Evaluate the change request
• Assign individuals to configuration objects
• check-out configuration objects
• make the change
• review (audit) the change
• check-in the changed configuration items
• establish baseline for testing

5

• promote changes for inclusion in next release
• rebuild, review
• include in new version
• distribute the new version

6
Aspects of CM Tools

• Versioning and version history
• Configurations and versions
• Transparency of CM
• Derived object management
• Workspace management
• Development transactions
• Evolution support
• Activity modeling and automation

7
Problem Management

• Tightly coupled with CM
• Collecting problems and development issues
• Assigning issues to people
• Status reporting and auditing
• Collecting problems and easily tracking them in
  the source is essentially importantQuality
  feedback agentsException dumps

8
Revision Control Systems

• Example SCCS, RCS
• Versions of sources, version history (storing in
  delta differences SCCS delta, RCS reverse delta)
• Concurrent development (check-in checkout
  semantics)
• Branches of revisions (i.e. stable, development,
  experimental)
• Logging, identification
• Merging of revisions

9
Revision Control with Central Repository

• Examples CVS, SourceSafe
• Developers work on their copy on a distributed
  environment.
• Operate on whole SW collection
• Transaction based. Development goes in parallel,
  conflicts resolved in time of commit.

10
Software CM Tools

• SCCS, RCS, CVS, Make
• Visual SourceSafe
• Apollo DSEE
• Rational Environment (ClearCase)
• Sun NSE
• IST Istar
• PVCS
• CM Synergy, and many more

11
A sample CM Plan

• 1 Introduction1.1 Purpose of CMP
• 1.2 Scope of Document
• 1.3 Definitions, Acronyms and Abbreviations
• 1.4 Document References
• 1.5 Document Overview

12

• 2 The Organizations CM Framework
• 2.1 Organization
• 2.2 Responsibilities
• 2.3 Tools Infrastructure

13

• 3 The CM Process
• 3.1 IdentificationExplain how you will identify
  the current state of your products and systems.
• 3.2 Management and ControlConsider Tools and
  Practices for Development, Engineering, Build,
  Deployment, Change Requests, Defect Tracking,
  System Management.
• 3.3 Configuration Status AccountingDefine what
  status updates you will provide and how.
  Consider Change Request Reports, Build Reports,
  Defect Reports, Bill of Materials and Release
  Reports.
• 3.4 AuditingArticulates how your solution will
  carry out Configuration Management Audits. Things
  to consider Functional Audits, Physical Audits
  and Process Audits.

14

• 4 Project Schedules - CM MilestonesProvide
  project planning support/guidelines for CM
  activities.
• 5 Project Resources
• 6 Plan Optimization
• Appendix

15
References

• CMU Software Engineering Institute
  http//www.sei.cmu.edu./
• Association for Configuration and Data
  Management http//www.acdm.org/
• comp.software.config-mgmt FAQ http//www.daveeato
  n.com/scm/