Configuration management (CM) is frequently misunderstood. This discipline is growing in popularity because it allows project participants to better identify potential problems, manage change, and efficiently track the progress of a software project. CM is not easy, but at the same time, it need not be difficult. This book gives the reader a practical understanding of the complexity and comprehensiveness of the discipline. Many current CM practitioners rely too heavily on commercial CM tools, and fail to understand the concept as a whole. With the deeper knowledge of CM principles taught in this book, readers will be better able to manage and deliver their next project. The book is included in the Agile Software Development Series because there is growing recognition that an effective configuration management strategy is the cornerstone of a truly agile project.

Table of Contents:
List of Figures List of Tables Foreword by Kim Caputo Foreword by Alistair Cockburn Preface Introduction I. WHAT IS CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT? 1. Definition of Configuration Management Used in This Book Configuration Management Activities Metadata Configuration Management Is Cyclicor Is It? Quality Assurance Process Audit Identification Inputs Outputs Process Descriptions Unique Identification Examples Authorization Roles Connection with Other Activities Storage Library Main Processes Process Descriptions Roles Connection with Other Activities Example Change Control Inputs Outputs Change Control Activities Usage of Metadata Consequence Analysis Roles Process Descriptions Connection with Other Activities Example Status Reporting Inputs Outputs Process Descriptions Roles Connection with Other Activities False Friends: Version Control and Baselines Version Control Baseline 2. Configuration Management in Maturity Models CMM Version 1.1 CMM Maturity Levels Definition Activities CMMI CMMI Process Areas Definition Goals Practice-to-Goal Relationships Capability and Maturity Levels Achieving Capability Levels Level 2 for All Process Areas Raising the Capability of the Configuration Management Process ISO 15504 (SPICE) and BOOTSTRAP 3.2 SPICE Process Model Definition Goals Best Practices Maturity Levels Maturity of Configuration Management 3. Configuration Management in International Standards Overview of Related Standards BS6488, DoD, IEEE BS6488 DoD Mil-Std-973 IEEE-Std-610.12-1990 ESA PSS-05-09 Introduction from the Guide GAMP Description from the Guide ISO 9001:1994, ISO 9000-3, and ISO 9001:2000 ISO 9001:1994 ISO 9000-3 ISO 9001:2000 4. Organizations Working with Configuration Management Institutions and Companies CM Today Yellow Pages Institute of Configuration Management Conferences Ovum Software Engineering Institute Projects ACME AdCoMs DaSC 5. Scoping the Configuration Management Task Level of AmbitionCost/Benefit Analysis Level of Ambition = Scope + Formalism Formalism for a Configuration Item Degrees of Formalism Earliest and Latest Extremes for Starting Configuration Management Formalism and Tools Expansion of Scopefrom Candidate to Item No Rough Drafts—Please! Expansion from the Middle Examples Calculation of Profitability Expenses Savings Pitfalls in Connection with Scoping Too Demanding Wrong Too Coarse or Too Fine Too Embracing or Too Exclusive Too Late or Too Early How to Treat What Is Kept Outside Objects to Keep Outside Identification Storage II. CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT DATA 6. What Can Be Placed under Configuration Management Physical or Electronic Objects Configuration Item Class Hierarchy Physical Objects Electronic Objects Types of Objects in Product Perspective Software Hardware Network Data Services Tools Types of Objects in Project Perspective Life Cycle Activities Support Functions Tools Types of Objects in Cross-Organizational Perspective Cross-Organizational Perspective Administrative Documents Company Product Assets Infrastructure Quality System Deliveries under Configuration Management Examples Project Relationships Deliveries for Planned Events Like Milestones Development Model Milestones 7. What One Needs to Know about a Configuration Item Overview of Metadata for a Configuration Item Data Elements Metadatabase Medium Other Data Elements Metadata for Unique Identification Belongs To Name Version Status Date Storage Location Storage Medium Example of States for a Document Example of States for a Source Code Unit, Including in Build Metadata for Authorization Producer Person Holding Overall Responsibility Person Responsible for Approval Ownership Metadata for Relations to Other Configuration Items Traces To (and From!) Tracing Registration Importance of Tracing Produced With Derived From Consists Of Metadata for Distribution May Be Distributed To Has Been Distributed To 8. What One Must Register for a Configuration Item Item Approval Quality Approval Medium Content Examples Release Request Medium Content Stock Control Examples Event Registration Life Cycle and Responsibility Content Created For Evaluation Under Decision Under Change Closed Classification Examples Change Request Life Cycle and Responsibility Content Created Implemented Approved New Events Examples 9. What Information Is Available for Configuration Items Examples Release Note Item Status List Item History List Item Composition List Trace Report Configuration Management as Supplier of Measurements Ideas for Process Improvement III. ROLES IN CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT 10. People and Configuration Management Configuration Management as a Career Qualifications Managing Configurations Is Everyone's Job Understanding Team Roles Putting Teams Together 11. Configuration Management Roles Configuration Control Board Skills and Knowledge Multiple Boards Managing Configurations of CCB Work Products References Librarian Tools Managing Configuration of Library Work Products References Person Responsible for Configuration Management Planning Configuration Management Managing Configuration Management Work Products References 12. Organizational Roles Management Defining and Tracking Goals Benefits References Person Responsible for Assets Different Process Descriptions References Person Responsible for Operation Configuration Management Responsibility References Person Responsible for Process Management Managing Configurations of Process Management Work Products References Person Responsible for Environments and Tools Managing Configurations of Environments and Tools References Support/Helpdesk References 13. Project-Related Roles Analyst Benefits References Designer Benefits References Programmer Benefits References Integrator Benefits References Tester Benefits References Project Manager Benefits Managing Configurations of Project Management Work Products References Person Responsible for Quality Managing Configurations of Quality Assurance Work Products References Person Responsible for Customer Contact References Person Responsible for Subcontractor Contact References 14. External Roles Customer References Subcontractor References IV. CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE 15. General Principles Milestones Identification Generic Content Lists Storage Change Control Status Reporting Document Handling Configuration Items or Deliveries Identification Authorization Tracing Storage Change Control Status Reporting Emergency Changes Examples Principles for “Cheating” Avoid Cheating Examples Again 16. Configuration Management in Development Activities Documentation Activities (Specifications and Design) Identification Coding Unique Identification Authorization Tracing Storage Change Control Integration Production Time Unique Identification Tracing Storage Change Control Test Deliveries Identification Tracing Storage Change Control Operational Use Configuration Management Considerations Release Event Registration Status Reporting Organizational Considerations Backup Maintenance New Versions Configuration Management Considerations Example 17. Managing Configurations for Project Support Functions Project Management Example Deliveries Connection with Other Processes Identification Tracing Change Control Status Reporting Configuration Management Milestone Deliveries Storage Change Control Status Reporting Quality Assurance Connection with Other Processes Subcontractor Management Identification Storage Change Control Status Reporting Delivery 18. Managing Configurations in Different Development Models Agile Development Configuration Management in Agile Development Empowered Teams Process Handling Environment and Support Requirements Management Working Together Frequent Delivery of Working Software Communication and Documentation Status Reporting Frequent-Build Technique Planning Considerations Configuration Management Considerations Frequent Builds Are Not Frequent Storage Identification Building Storage Backtracking Change Control Example Integrated Product Development Organizational Considerations Configuration Management Considerations Approach Iterative Development Configuration Management Considerations Requirements Management Identification Storage Change Control Status Reporting Sequential Development W-Model Configuration Management Considerations Identification Change Control Status Reporting 19. Managing Configurations for Different Product Types Composite Systems Design Considerations Configuration Management Considerations Identification Storage Change Control Status Reporting Multiplatform Configuration Management Considerations Identification Multivariants Examples Requirements Considerations Design Considerations Configuration Management Considerations Identification Storage Change Control Status Reporting Safety-Critical Products Examples Configuration Management Considerations Size of Product (Large and Small) Small Systems Large Systems Identification Storage Change Control Status Reporting Tool Considerations Web Applications Examples Content Management Configuration Management Considerations Identification Storage Change Control Status Reporting 20. Managing Configurations under Special Conditions Multisite Development (Geographic Distribution) Example Organizational Considerations Configuration Management Considerations Identification Storage Change Control Status Reporting Example Multiple Stakeholders Get an Overview of the Requirements Analyze the Requirements Describe the Fulfillment Conflict of Authority Parallel Development Example Planning Considerations Configuration Management Considerations Identification Storage Change Control Status Reporting Tool Considerations Tool Support Configuration Management Considerations 21. Managing Configurations for Cross-Organizational Functions Company Infrastructure Organizational Considerations Identification Storage Change Control Status Reporting Cross-Organizational Objects Configuration Management Considerations Identification Storage Change Control Status Reporting External Reuse Component Development Examples Configuration Management Considerations Identification Storage Change Control Status Reporting Internal Asset Development (Product-Line Approach) Examples Central Ownership of Components Configuration Management Considerations Identification Storage Change Control Status Reporting Quality System, Including Process Management Configuration Management Considerations Responsibility Identification Storage Change Control Status Reporting V. IMPROVING CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT 22. Getting Started on Configuration Managementup to Capability Level 1 How to Get Started from Nothing 267 Getting the Right People Collecting Best Practices Internally Looking at the Outside World Focus Look Ahead First Steps Toward Configuration Management Establish Baselines Track and Control Changes Minimum Documentation Establish Integrity Experiences in Implementing Configuration Management Overall Conclusion Datamat Ingegneria dei Sistemi S.I.A S.p.A Istiservice, S.p.a Event A/S Sysdeco A/S 23. Planning Configuration Managementup to Capability Level 2 General Planning Advice The Plan Itself Connection to the Project Template Table of Contents for a Configuration Management Plan Configuration Management Plan: Introduction Purpose Scope Vocabulary and Reference Lists Configuration Management Plan: Management and Relations to the Environment Organization Responsibilities Interface Control Subcontractor Management Relevant Standards Configuration Management Plan: Activities Identification Storage Change Control Status Reporting Configuration Management Plan: Schedule Tasks Phases and Milestones Diagrams and Charts Configuration Management Plan: Tools, Techniques, and Methods Tools Techniques and Methods 24. Processes for Configuration Managementup to Capability Level 3 Processes in General Connection with Maturity Models Definitions A Process Is Like a Recipe Process Model Configuration Management ProcessesOverview Special Requirements for Configuration Management Processes Configuration Management ProcessModel Examples 25. Continuous Improvement of Configuration Managementup to Capability Level 4 and 5 General Software Process Improvement Advice Processes in Use Dissemination and Adaptation Companies at Capability Levels 4 and 5 Metrics for Controlling Configuration Management Performance Metrics in General Measuring Methods Measurement Plan Examples Analyzing Metrics for Control and Improvement Statistics Balance Point VariationWhat Is Normal Control Charts 26. Tool Support for Configuration Management Classes of Tools for Configuration Management Individual Support Project-Related Support Full, Company-Wide Process Support Who Should Use Which Tool? Organizational Considerations Business Goals Buy It or Do It Yourself Environmental Constraints Legacy from the Past Financing Organizational Scope Ownership Planning for the Future Willingness to Change Selecting a Configuration Management Tool Evaluation Group Evaluation Method Requirements Detailed Evaluation Nomination of the Winner Requirements for Configuration Management Tools Integration with Other Tools Performance Scalability Usability Web Access Requirements for the Tool Supplier Acquaintances Employees Financial Status Focus Tool Use Reputation Support Facilities Customizing Configuration Management Tools One Tool or More Changing Tools or Processes From Class to Class Appendix A. Configuration Management Process Model:A Software Code Example Appendix B. Configuration Management Process Model:A Tracing Example Appendix C. Agile SCM Glossary Bibliography Index 0321117662T12242002