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Software Configuration
Management
Software Configuration
Management can be achieved through a diligent approach and project
management skills so where does this specific skill set come from?
As far as I am aware
(and please feel free to drop me a line if I am incorrect) Software
Configuration Management was first proposed as an IEEE standard with
direct input from the Carnegie Mellon institute and the software
engineering institute.
Software Configuration
Management – What is its purpose?
So what is
it?...According to the Software Engineering Institute's definition
of Software Configuration Management, the purpose of Software
Configuration Management is to establish and maintain the integrity
of the products of the software project throughout the project's
software lifecycle.
Software Configuration
Management – Why do we need it?
In recent times most
organizations that produce software, have not been regarded as value
adding by the customer base that they sell to. Why is that? Many
reasons but the most frequent response is the perception that
software is released to market before all the bugs are ironed out!
From the developers
viewpoint configuration Management is seen as a hindrance to the
improvement of the product because of the overhead associated with
the change control function of Software Configuration Management.
But on closer
examination, it can be shown that the most frustrating software
problems are often caused by poor configuration management. Even
though this is anecdotal information, there is still at least the
perception of these things are not being done well. Look at the
major application vendors and how much effort is being put in to
developing their product. They tend to be in a lose – lose
situation.
Software Configuration
Management – is it just Change
Control?
Software Configuration
Management is often considered just Change Control. We all know and
understand that Change Control is a critical component of Software
Configuration Management but it is only one of many.
Now when I really get
started Configuration Management is more than just Software
configuration Management. One of the interesting turns of event is
that Microsoft and IBM just completed a joint writing of the new
Applications Management book as part of the updated ITIL
library.
You should check it
out as it is quite an interesting read!
THE ASSET MANAGEMENT TOOLKIT
Each
item included is of the highest quality, tailor made to cover a
different aspect and issue. It includes presentations,
questionnaires, guidelines, fact sheets.... and whole gamut of
material specifically put together to both introduce and take you
through Asset Management.
It comprises the
following components (click
here) | 
