Introduction to Configuration Management


Configuration Management is the art of organizing, documenting and controlling systems which are continually evolving. It originated in the aerospace industry in the 1950s to enable accurate re-creation of the prototypes which were tested at various stages of the project. It has since been applied to many design and manufacturing processes.

Software Configuration Management has 4 main facets:

  • Version Control - tracking the different software versions which exist as on-going application development work takes place.
  • Environment Management - the control, at each stage of the project, of which version belongs in each environment, e.g. in development, in testing or released to the live site.
  • Release Management - the control of software building for release.
  • Process Control - the implementation of in-house procedures for software development.

Good Configuration Management has a key role in any mature software development process. It brings a number of important advantages:

  • greater productivity
  • an increase in software quality
  • detailed management reporting
  • faster response to customer needs and market changes
  • a reduction in costs

Automating the process reduces the amount of time and effort which is expended on Configuration Management, while increasing the level of control.


See Also: Deltanji Overview