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Distributed Configuration Management Solution in LIFESPAN Environment and Experiences of the VISCOUN

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Naval Engineering. Warship Prime Contracting. Software Engineering. British Aerospace buying out. Sema Group. BA SEMA. e. BA SEMA. e. Slide No: 4 ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Distributed Configuration Management Solution in LIFESPAN Environment and Experiences of the VISCOUN


1
Distributed Configuration Management Solution in
LIFESPAN Environment and Experiences of the
VISCOUNT Project
  • Nigel Gibson
  • BAeSEMA Limited
  • www.baesema.co.uk
  • nigel.gibson_at_baesema.co.uk

2
Presentation Topics
  • Company Background
  • Virtual Software Corporations
  • The VISCOUNT Project
  • LIFESPAN
  • VISCOUNT Project Benefits

3
Company Background
  • Jointly owned British Aerospace Sema Group
  • 1,500 staff, revenues 160m
  • Markets include
  • C4I
  • Naval Engineering
  • Warship Prime Contracting
  • Software Engineering
  • British Aerospace buying out Sema Group

4
What is a VSC?
  • Organisation
  • internal/external
  • competitive/collaborative
  • Geography
  • local/international
  • Relationship
  • contractual/non-contractual

5
Traditional Partnership Model
Customer
Supplier
Subcontractor
6
VSC Partnership Model
Customer
Supplier
Third Party
Customer
Supplier
7
VSC Key Attributes
  • Collaborative process
  • Disparate organisation
  • Temporary structure
  • Dynamically forming partnerships
  • Each partner has clear area of expertise
  • Mutual accountability
  • One customer

8
VSC Risks
  • Differing business drivers
  • Communications breakdown
  • Lack of timely co-ordinated information
  • Security
  • Project/organisation
  • Cultural Differences in
  • Procedures
  • Organisations
  • Countries
  • Different tools in different organisations

9
VSC Benefits
  • Quick project startup
  • Minimal infrastructure investment
  • Flat communication structure
  • No complex management structures
  • Each partner does what it does best
  • Profitability optimised
  • ...Improved productivity

10
Distributed Configuration Mgt
  • Important for an efficient VSC
  • Differing information states
  • private (no external read access)
  • proprietary (general read access)
  • shared (general read and write access)
  • Common infrastructure
  • Developers/managers ideally use the same tools
  • Reality means reconciling differences/standards

..the above are addressed by the VISCOUNT project
11
The VISCOUNT Project
  • Improving distributed configuration management
  • International partnership
  • Testing different VSCs in the real world
  • Improving LIFESPAN configuration management
    tool support for VSCs
  • VISCOUNT is a VSC!

12
THE VISCOUNT PROJECT
CM Tool
Goals
Productivity Organisation Communication Specialisa
tion
PROCESSES
METRICS
VSC
VSC
MEET
CONFIGURATION
VSC
SUPPORT
Customers
MANAGEMENT
ADDRESS
VSC
VSC
Risks
REQUIREMENTS
TECHNOLOGIES
Quality Consistency Security Local Data
13
The VISCOUNT Partners
  • BAeSEMA - UK
  • VTT, Valmet - Finland
  • debis - Germany
  • SIA - Italy
  • Glasgow Caledonian University - UK

14
VISCOUNT Project Details
  • Esprit Framework IV supported
  • 27 mths duration
  • Phased, prototype approach
  • Gather requirements
  • Technology analysis
  • Implement prototype
  • Test usability
  • Develop new prototype

15
VISCOUNT Project Areas
  • Product Development
  • BAeSEMA
  • User Organisations
  • Valmet, SIA, debis
  • Technology Analysis
  • GCU, VTT
  • Process Improvement, Metrics
  • VTT

16
VISCOUNT is a VSC!
  • Collaborative approach, single customer
  • Dynamic partnerships
  • Project tasks
  • Exploitation by partners
  • Concentration on core area of expertise
  • Geographically dispersed
  • Mutually accountable

17
(No Transcript)
18
LIFESPAN Background
  • 20 years in Configuration Management
  • Developed for internal use
  • Targeted at external market
  • Originally VAX-based
  • 150 customer sites - 3000 users
  • UK defence electronics focus
  • Customers in defence, telecoms, power,
    transportation

19
What is Configuration Management?
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
20
The Real Definition...
The discipline of identifying all components in
a continually evolving system for the purpose of
maintaining integrity, traceability and control
over change through its lifecycle. BS 6488 -
Configuration Management of Computer-Based
Systems
  • Disciplines for
  • Configuration identification
  • Baselining
  • Status Accounting
  • Procedures for controlling change
  • Quality process improvement
  • Development, production maintenance

21
Scope
  • Requirements
  • Designs
  • Code
  • Test specifications
  • Platform specifications
  • User documentation
  • Standards

Whole Lifecycle Support for all Project Objects
22
Why Automated CM?
  • Management of complexity
  • Risk reduction
  • Security of data assets
  • Containment of costs
  • Conformance with standards
  • Productivity improvement
  • Quality improvement

...an Essential, Integral Component of your
Project
23
What is LIFESPAN ?
  • Automated CM system
  • Straightforward operation
  • Proven in use
  • Secure, predictable file based control
  • No complex set up
  • Platforms OpenVMS, Unix Microsoft Windows
  • Easy to use
  • Workflow management
  • Teamworking support

24
LIFESPAN - Key Facilities (I)
  • Version control
  • Configuration control
  • Change control
  • Fault reporting
  • Software build management
  • Release management

25
LIFESPAN - Key Facilities (II)
  • Impact analysis
  • Process support
  • Reporting audit trails
  • Archive system
  • Configurability

26
Integrate your environment
User Interfaces Fully object oriented Iconic
manipulation Drag drop Optional interface
for VT terminals
  • Application Programming Interface
  • Class Library
  • Automate CM operations
  • Tool interface

GUI CLIENT
API
CommandLine Interface Automate common
operations Fast project take-on
  • 3rd Party ToolIntegration
  • Flexible I/O
  • SCCS
  • Metriflame

LIFESPAN SERVER
Interface
CLI
Query
Reporting Fast online reports Ad hoc,
repeatable queries Detailed or summary
27
Client-Server Architecture
Windows NTWindows 95/98
SERVER
VMS VAX, Alpha Solaris HP-UX Windows NT
Forms (VT100 compatible)
TCP/IP or DECnet
Solaris OpenLook Motif
OpenVMS DECwindows
HP-UX Motif
CLIENTS
28
LIFESPAN - Change Control
29
User Roles Privileges
30
LIFESPAN s e-mail System
31
Basic Configuration Item
Module
CM Data
MODULE TYPE
MODULE NAME
Latest Version
A
VERSION (HISTORY)
First Version
DESCRIPTION
Module Body
SOURCE

Program Code
eg

Text
2.1
A
FOREIGN

Binary
eg

Graphics
PROCESS MODEL
32
Structured Configuration Item
Package
4.1
P
Package
L
1.4
3.7
X
2.6
N
33
Example of Package Hierarchies
34
Hierarchical Version Control
35
LIFESPAN - Change Control
36
LIFESPAN - the Key Benefits
  • Comprehensive CM coverage
  • Version control
  • Configuration control
  • Secure change control
  • Fault reporting/tracking
  • Build/release management
  • Access/run on multiple platforms
  • Highly secure database
  • Effective process support
  • Configurable access
  • Impact analysis

Assuring Quality, Improving Productivity and
Control of the Development Process
37
LIFESPAN Within VISCOUNT
  • Configuration management key element within VSCs
  • LIFESPAN strategy to support the new paradigm
  • Improve features and usability
  • Test technology and features
  • User feedback paramount

38
Improving support for VSCs
  • Flexible process modelling
  • integrate different processes across
    organisations
  • Metrics support
  • continuous process improvement monitoring and
    control
  • Distributed Software Development
  • process support
  • configuration management support

39
Support for metrics
  • VTT Metriflame integration
  • report based
  • on-demand
  • dont re-invent the wheel
  • Adoption of GQM/Pr²imer methodology

40
Integration with other tools
  • Typical need within VSC
  • disparate organisations
  • different methods, tools and processes
  • temporary hence no mandated conformity
  • Configuration management tools
  • STEP-like generic transfer model

41
Technology Issues
  • Process modelling
  • Metrics
  • Distribution mechanisms
  • Web deployment
  • Security
  • Agent technology
  • Interchange formats

42
VISCOUNT Lessons Learned
  • Leading edge not necessarily best (yet)
  • Java not industrial strength for VSC support
  • Security remains an issue
  • Encryption problems
  • Infrastructure demands!
  • Iterative prototyping invaluable
  • Incremental product development
  • Limited, immediate, real user feedback
  • VSCs Work!
  • Project collaboration and focus remain high

43
VISCOUNT Benefits
  • VSCs
  • Improved Service Velocity
  • Quicker time to market
  • Improved Customer satisfaction (reqts,
    flexibility, speed)
  • Cost reduction in project development
  • Improved quality
  • VISCOUNT
  • Proving different VSC implementations
  • Improving VSC support tools
  • BAeSEMA
  • All the above, plus
  • Improved LIFESPAN product

44
Summary
  • VSC - the organisational structure of the future
  • VISCOUNT is testing and will exploit the VSC
    concept
  • Fundamental benefits to business
  • improved service velocity
  • improved quality
  • improved profitability

45
THE VISCOUNT PROJECT
CM Tool
Goals
Productivity Organisation Communication Specialisa
tion
PROCESSES
METRICS
VSC
VSC
MEET
CONFIGURATION
VSC
SUPPORT
Customers
MANAGEMENT
ADDRESS
VSC
VSC
Risks
REQUIREMENTS
TECHNOLOGIES
Quality Consistency Security Local Data
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