Introduction

Change management in the software context is done using the disciplined approach of software configuration management (SCM). In software projects where changes are not managed by implementing the SCM process, there is a possibility of low productivity, more rework, and more errors.

To be able to plan for SCM as a part of project management, it is necessary to understand the tasks in the SCM process. The five tasks of the SCM process are configuration identification, change control, version control, configuration auditing, and reporting. These tasks relate to software configuration items (SCIs) and can be seen as concentric layers that apply to SCIs as the project progresses.

The Tasks in the SCM Process course includes:

• Configuration Identification
• Change Control
• Version Control
• Configuration Auditing
• Reporting

This course has been co-authored by the internationally recognized consultant and authority on software engineering—Dr. Roger S. Pressman.

Course Benefits

This course will enable you to:

• Explain the configuration identification task of the SCM process.
• Explain the change control task of the SCM process.
• Explain the version control task of the SCM process.
• Explain the configuration auditing task of the SCM process.
• Explain the reporting task of the SCM process

You receive a certificate of completion after successfully completing this course.

Content Brief

Changes are inevitable during a software project and can arise due to various reasons. Software configuration management (SCM) provides a disciplined approach to change management. In order to implement SCM in a software project, it is necessary to understand the SCM process.

There are five tasks in the SCM process. These are configuration identification, change control, version control, configuration auditing, and reporting.

Configuration identification is at the core of the SCM process. It sets the basis for the subsequent tasks of the SCM process. Configuration identification includes defining the basis for identifying software configuration items (SCIs), defining the method to depict the relationship between SCIs, defining the identification scheme for naming SCIs, identifying SCIs, identifying the baselines to be established and the corresponding SCIs, and defining the method for acquiring SCIs in the project repository.

In the change control task of the SCM process, a defined process is used to handle change requests from their initiation until the time the change is implemented and released to users. The change control process includes evaluating a change request, implementing the change, and verifying and releasing the change.

The version control task of the SCM process is executed to manage multiple versions of a configuration and the SCIs that constitute it. Revisions, variations, and variants are types of versions of a software product; and the principles of version control apply to all of them.

The configuration auditing task of the SCM process is a software quality assurance (SQA) function. It is executed formally and impartially to ensure that changes have been made correctly and quality has been maintained while implementing the changes. There are three types of configuration audits—functional configuration audit (FCA), physical configuration audit (PCA), and formal qualification review (FQR).

The reporting task of the SCM process provides timely information on the status of the changes requested and the SCIs to the people who may be affected by the changes. These could be the people requesting for changes, the developers, the project manager, and the senior management.

Tools should be considered for supporting all the tasks of the SCM process.