Abstract: Configuration management (CM) is a Configuration Management (UCM).

Using
field of management that focuses on establishing UCM, developers can keep track of the source
and maintaining consistency of a system's or code, documentation, problems, changes
product's performance and its functional and requested, and changes made.
physical attributes with its requirements, design,
and operational information throughout its life.
For information assurance, CM can be defined History: Configuration management was first
as the management of security features and developed by the United States Air Force for the
assurances through control of changes made to Department of Defense in the 1950s as a
hardware, software, firmware, documentation, technical management discipline of hardware.
test, test fixtures, and test documentation The concepts of this discipline have been widely
throughout the life cycle of an information adopted by numerous technical management
system. functions, including systems engineering (SE),
Introduction: Configuration management (CM) integrated logistics support (ILS), Capability
is the detailed recording and updating of Maturity Model Integration (CMMI), ISO 9000,
information that describes an enterprise's Prince2 project management methodology,
hardware and software. Such information COBIT, Information Technology Infrastructure
typically includes the versions and updates that Library (ITIL), product lifecycle management,
have been applied to installed software packages and application lifecycle management. Many of
and the locations and network .Special these functions and models have redefined
configuration management software is available. configuration management from its traditional
When a system needs hardware or software holistic approach to technical management.
upgrade, a computer technician can accesses the Some treat configuration management as being
configuration management program and similar to a librarian activity, and break out
database to see what is currently installed. The change control or change management as a
technician can then make a more informed separate or stand alone discipline. However the
decision about the upgrade needed. bottom line is and always shall be Traceability.

An advantage of a configuration management Basic operations in configuration management:

application is that the entire collection of The traditional software configuration
systems can be reviewed to make sure any management (SCM) process is looked upon by
changes made to one system do not adversely practitioners as the best solution to handling
affect any of the other systems .Configuration changes in software projects. It identifies the
management is also used in software functional and physical attributes of software at
development, where it is called Unified various points in time, and performs systematic
control of changes to the identified attributes for
the purpose of maintaining software integrity
and traceability throughout the software
development life cycle.
The SCM process further defines the need to Configuration change control is a set of
trace changes, and the ability to verify that the processes and approval stages required to change
final delivered software has all of the planned a configuration item's attributes and to re-
enhancements that are supposed to be included baseline them. Configuration Change
in the release. It identifies four procedures that Management (CCM) is the means by which a
must be defined for each software project to product’s design parameters are managed
ensure that a sound SCM process is throughout the product lifecycle. The process
implemented. They are: shall:

I. Configuration Management and I. Identify the authority responsible for

Planning approving physical and functional
II. Configuration identification product design changes throughout the
III. Configuration control product lifecycle.
IV. Configuration status accounting II. Enable authoritative decisions to be
V. Configuration audits taken on proposed changes to the
product.
These terms and definitions change from III. Ensure that compatibility is maintained
standard to standard, but are essentially the between the product items themselves
same. and those in any interfacing product or
system.
Configuration Management and Planning: In
IV. Establish CCM groups and/or
order to implement an effective CM process it is
committees as required.
necessary to first undertake a rigorous planning
V. Determine the terms of reference for
exercise. The aim being to plan and manage the
each group or committee and controls
CM process such that it delivers the outputs
required to manage the CCM system
expected when required. Configuration
efficiently and effectively.
Management and Planning should be undertaken
initially by the MOD Project Team and then the Configuration Status Accounting: Configuration
Supplier, upon contract award Status Accounting (CSA) is the means by which
a product’s build standard is formally
Configuration Identification and
Documentation: Configuration identification is documented and controlled. The process shall be
developed for all Configuration items and be
the process of identifying the attributes that
maintained for the lifecycle of the product.CSA
define every aspect of a configuration item. A
shall record and make available the information
configuration item is a product (hardware and/or
necessary to manage the configuration
software) that has an end-user purpose. These
effectively and maintain traceability of the CM
attributes are recorded in configuration
documentation, the status of proposed changes
documentation and base- lined. Base -lining an
to the configuration and the implementation
attribute forces formal configuration change
status of authorized changes.
control processes to be effected in the event that
these attributes are changed. Configuration Audits: Configuration audits are
broken into functional and physical
Configuration control/ Configuration Change
configuration audits. They occur either at
Management:
delivery or at the moment of effecting the
change. A functional configuration audit ensures
that functional and performance attributes of a procedures that control changes, such as version
configuration item are achieved, while a changes, updates or bug fixes, to a software
physical configuration audit ensures that a application. Because most software systems are
configuration item is installed in accordance not the result of a single programmer, but are
with the requirements of its detailed design composites created by bringing together
documentation. individual program modules, any change to an
existing software program must accomplish the
There are two types of Configuration Audit change objective without affecting other
(CA): modules in the program.
I. Functional Configuration Audit (FCA) – Purpose: Without proper control mechanisms,
is the examination of test data and projects can easily get out of hand and result in
quality records for a CI to verify program changes that do not meet user or
conformance with performance and delivery requirements, are of poor quality, and
functional characteristics. cost more to produce. The purpose for
II. Physical Configuration Audit (PCA) – is employing software configuration management
the examination of the "as built" is to avoid software configuration problems and
configuration methods to verify maximize productivity. It focuses on
conformance with build data. establishing and maintaining consistent program
Configuration Audit reports shall be performance by managing and controlling
formally presented to the appropriate changes made throughout the product lifecycle.
authority for acceptance and evaluation This includes product documentation, as well as
of any need for corrective action. internal program changes.
Example of configuration management: Process: Four core procedures comprise the
Configuration management is widely used by base of an SCM program. They include
many military organizations to manage the identification, control, accounting and audits.
technical aspects of any complex systems, such Identification is an organizing process that
as weapon systems, vehicles, and information creates a repository to store SCM components,
systems. The discipline combines the capability enabling you to locate the right version of the
aspects that these systems provide an right file at the right time. Control defines who
organization with the issues of management of may have access to program files and accounting
change to these systems over time. Outside of keeps track of program changes, the person
the military, CM is appropriate to a wide range making the change, the date of the change and
of fields and industry and commercial sectors the reason for the change. Audits provide a
means to evaluate and analyze SCM procedures,
The Importance of Software Configuration
and make corrections to your control policy if
Management: configuration management means
necessary.
"control of changes". it mainly focuses on proper
version management and change control is also a Components: An SCM component is a version-
part of this, in software industry the purpose of specific file that includes project plans, design
CM is to establish and maintains work product models, source files, libraries and executables. A
using configuration identification, configuration single software program can have numerous
control, configuration status accounting and SCM components if it releases multiple
configuration audit. Software configuration versions, as each component is a separate unit
management (SCM) involves tools and
that can operate on its own. SCM components
create a subsystem within the program that
reduces complexity, makes it easier to discover
errors, and facilitates referencing and reusing
component items to streamline the change
process and ensure consistency in program
development.

Benefits: Implementing an SCM policy can help

reduce build and integration errors, and increase
levels of communication between project
managers, testers and developers. SCM policies
also allow for more accurate reporting of files
that change between program versions and allow
project managers access not only to information
regarding the change, but also its status, the
developer or developers assigned to the project
and a time estimate for completion. Code
reviews and testing becomes more streamlined
as only those component items that change
require additional review and testing.

Considerations: A key aspect of SCM is

integration. A general rule is to begin integration
early and test repeatedly during version
development to uncover interface and design
errors. While each developer involved in the
project requires a workspace arrangement that
serves a single purpose, such as editing, building
or testing, it is possible for developer isolation to
be too complete. As each development task is
complete, the developer should integrate it with
the version file. This keeps productivity flowing
and allows others to view changes as they occur.