Software Configuration
Management (SCM)
A discipline for managing the evolution of
computer systems throughout all stages
of systems development.
Benefits
Organizes tasks and activities
Help manage assets
Provide ability to track changes
Ensures correct configurations
of software
Ensures that engineering are
implementing changes into the correct
baseline.
Provides the ability to trace the
process from requirements to
product.
Limits legal liability by
recording all data
Helps reduce the life-cycle cost of of
maintaning software, which can easily
exceed the initial cost of development.
Allows responsibility to be
managed to be traced to the
source.
Provides a stable enviroment fo the
software development process to be
defined, repeated and improved.
Enhances compliances with
standards being applied.
Provides an environment in wich
meaningfull measures can be gathered
and used.
Allows quick and easily auditing
Provides the ability to reproduce
circumstances/conditions under which the product was
by retaining information relative to the production
process.
Provides communication
channels between groups.
Fosters an ability to improve
wihout being punitive in
nature.
Provides an understanding of
when the product is ready for
release.
Helps produce higher quality
software.
Functional areas
Configuration identification
Objectives, identifying the structure of the software
systems, uniquely identifying individual
components and making them accessible in some
form.
Identification answers, What is the configuration of my systems?, What version of the file is this?, What are the components of the systems.
Configuration change control
Objectives, Control the release and changes to
software products throughout the software
life cycle
Identification answers, What is controlled?, How are the changes to the products controlled?, Who controls the changes?, When are the changes accepted, received, and verified?
Configuration status accounting
Objectives, Recording and reporting of the changes process.
Identification answers, What changes have been made to the systems?, How many files were affected by this problem report?
Configuration Auditing
Objectives, Verifies that the software product is built
according to the requirements, standards, or
contractual agreement.
Types, Functional configuration audit (FCA), Verifies that the software satifies the software
requirements stated in the System Requirements
Specification and the Interface Requirements
Specification., Physical configuration audit (PCA), Determines whether the design and
reference documents represent the software
that was built.
Identification Answers, Does the system satisfy the requirements?, Are all changes incorporated in this version?
