Software Configuration Management: Selecting the Right Tool

1
Software Configuration Management Selecting the
Right Tool

• Chetan Desai
• Software Project Management
• SWEN 5230
• Dr. Boetticher

2
What is SCM?

• History
• CM Origins
• SCM - Automation
• Mature Discipline

3
Why do I need it?

• Reduce Costs
• Improve Productivity
• Encourage Reuse
• Reduce Deployment Defects
• Reduce Time-to-Market
• Integral Part of a Mature Organization CMM

4
But..

• Adoption of SCM tools in the software development
  market is only 20 Ovum Research
• Lack of Awareness of the State-of-the-Art
• Problems with Tool Adoption
• Behavioral Factors WeigersK
• Political Factors
• Inability to See Long-Term Benefits

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Problem Definition

• Suitability for an organization
• One size does not fit all
• Large Investment, Resource Commitment,
  return-on-investment
• Select the most appropriate tool to obtain
  maximize return-on-investment (ROI)
• The total number of tools in the market today
  exceeds 50

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Functionality (Requirements)

• Dart discusses functionality and requirements
• Does not address deployment
• Modified diagram
• Does not address entire industry spectrum
• No distinction made based on industry

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Industry Spectrum

• Organization Factors - How small is small?
• small
• who, what, when
• small, local, single-organization involvement
  with less volatile requirements
• large
• communication control
• large, multi-organizational, multi-site and with
  volatile requirements
• Project Factors - Size, Complexity

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Functionality and Industry

• Workspace
• Simple (Workstation Directory), Intermediate
  (Hierarchical)
• Workspace usage patterns
• Small - Simple Workspace
• Large - Intermediate Workspace (Enhances
  communication)
• Merging
• Managing conflicts
• Largely manual effort
• Small - Parallel development not necessary
• Large - Support tools, Automated merge

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Functionality and Industry (continued)

• Communication
• Local Area Connectivity
• Local network support
• Wide Area Connectivity
• Virtual Software Company
• Small - Local network support
• Large - Wide area connectivity

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Functionality and Industry (continued)

• Components
• Uniquely identifiable components
• Applies to both - core function
• Uniquely identifiable configurations
• Small - Labeling
• Large - Rules
• Repository
• Small - File Based Repository
• Large - Database, structured storage (Efficient
  Retrieval)

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Functionality and Industry (continued)

• Structure
• System Model
• Small - Parts List, Labels
• Large - System Model
• Construction
• Build Management
• Small - make
• Large - Integrated/Automated build management

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Functionality and Industry (continued)

• Deployment
• Installation
• Parameterization
• Instantiation
• Reconfiguration

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Functionality and Industry (continued)

• Process
• Extent of Process Support - Little or None,
  Enforced, Custom
• Auditing
• Change History
• Trace Changes to Related Documents
• Summary Charts and Reports

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Functionality and Industry (continued)

• Accounting
• Schedule Tracking
• Gathering Metrics
• Controlling
• Access Control
• Locks, Lists, Authentication
• Small - Authentication governed by network
• Large - Tool Authentication in Addition to
  Network Authentication

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Taxonomy

• Onion Model
• Levels
• 1. Core functionality (simple version control)
• 2. Simple process introduction
• 3. Enforced process
• 4. Complex, Global
• Justification for Grouping

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SCM Tool Survey

• SourceSafe
• All Level 1 requirements implemented
• Supports merging and parallel development
• Level 1
• 995.00 for 10 users
• CS-RCS
• All Level 1 requirements implemented
• Supports merging and parallel development
• Level 1
• 3600.00 for 10 users

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SCM Tool Survey (continued)

• Razor
• Meets all Level 1 and Level 2 requirements
• Does not meet any Level 3 requirements
• Level 2
• 8030.00 for 10 users

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Results

• CS-RCS, MS-VSS, Razor mapped to taxonomy
• Caveat Level 1 for CS-RCS, MS-VSS
• CS-RCS, MS-VSS
• Low Operational Expertise
• Developer-Oriented
• Razor
• Basic Change Management Processes

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Conclusions

• CM is a key element in the development and
  maintenance of a software product
• Investing in the most feature rich CM solution
  may not be the wisest solution
• General Taxonomy Presented - Guide
• Gradual Adoption

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Future Work

• Practical Considerations
• Develop Tie Breaking Criteria
• Model Granularity
• Develop Questionnaire
• Usability, Performance, Platform, Technical
  Support Considerations
• Case Studies Needed to Valid Model and ROI

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References

• Dart, S. Concepts in Configuration Management
  System (June 1992), On-line at http//www.sei.cmu.
  edu/legacy/scm/abstracts/abscm_concepts.html.
• Fruhauf, K. Software Configuration Management,
  State of the Art, State of the Practice (1999).
• Buckholz, G., Making CM Work for Software
  Development. IT Professional (September-October
  2001), 51-53.
• Wiegers, K.E. Lessons Learned from Tool Adoption
  Software Development Magazine (October 1999).
  On-line at www.processimpact.com/articles/tool_les
  sons.pdf
• Banachowski, S., Whitehead, J. An Observation of
  Fine Grain Usage Patterns for Two Configuration
  Management Tools (May 2001), Tenth International
  Workshop on Software Configuration Management.

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Questions

• According to Ovum, what is the market penetration
  of SCM tool?
• 20
• What are the core (fundamental) areas of SCM
  functionality according to this paper?
• See Onion Diagram Level 1