Week 11 - Software Configuration Management

Question 1

What is the “moving target” problem?

Answer 1

A challenge in software development and project management due to frequently changing requirements influenced by various factors like market trends, organizational changes, and evolving client needs.

Question 2

Why is software change inevitable?

Answer 2

Due to business environment changes, errors needing repair, new requirements from usage, and the need for continuous improvement.

Question 3

What is uncontrolled change?

Answer 3

Modifications made to the software without coordination, planning, or proper oversight, leading to potential issues in software quality, consistency, and maintainability.

Question 4

What is Software Configuration Management?

Answer 4

A discipline focusing on controlling and tracking changes in software, involving identifying elements and configurations in software, controlling changes, recording and reporting changes, and ensuring integrity and traceability throughout the SDLC.

Question 5

What are the key components of SCM?

Answer 5

Version control, change control, build management, release management, configuration auditing.

Question 6

What is version control?

Answer 6

A system that records changes to files, allowing tracking of version history, rollbacks, branching, merging, and concurrent development.

Question 7

What is build management?

Answer 7

Managing the complex activities of building software, involving not just compiling but linking, packaging, executing automated tests, creating documentation, versioning, dependency management, and continuous integration.

Question 8

What is change control?

Answer 8

A process in software development and project management used to ensure that changes to a product or system are introduced in a controlled and coordinated manner. It involves evaluating, approving and implementing changes in a project.

Question 9

What is release management?

Answer 9

Release management is the process of managing, planning, scheduling, and controlling a software build through different stages and environments, including the eventual deployment of releases. It encompasses planning, scheduling, testing and quality assurance, deployment, communication and training, and post-release support.

Question 10

What is a configuration item?

Answer 10

Any component that needs to be managed in order to deliver a software product, including software code, documentation, hardware, test scripts, test plans, and other items related to the software system.

Question 11

How do we identify configuration items?

Answer 11

Through unique identification within the system, using naming conventions, unique IDs, version numbers, metadata, physical labels, or hierarchical structures.

Question 12

What are the two types of release in Release Management?

Answer 12

Major Release for the release of a new feature, functionality (Bigger more impt)

and Minor Release, more for release of bug fixing etc. (smaller scale shit)

Question 13

What does “integration hell” refer to?

Answer 13

A situation where a developer spends more time trying to reintegrate altered source code into the software system than they did creating the new feature.

Question 14

What is continuous integration?

Answer 14

A software development practice where members of a development team integrate their work frequently, usually at least daily, with each integration verified by automated build to test for integration errors as quickly as possible.

Question 15

What can large infrequent commits lead to?

Answer 15

A high degree of divergence from the main line of development, leading to integration difficulties.

Question 16

What are the four steps to Continuous Integration?

Answer 16

Repository Setup: You correctly highlighted the importance of a centralized version control system and the practice of frequent commits. This foundation is crucial for maintaining code consistency and facilitating easier integration.

Setup Automated Build: Your point about transforming committed code into an executable through automated builds is spot on. This step ensures that the codebase is always in a state that can be deployed or tested at any moment.

Setup Automated Tests: Running automated tests on each build is a critical step for early identification of issues. It maintains the reliability and quality of the software.

CI Server Setup: This step is indeed the culmination of the previous steps, where a CI server automates the process of monitoring for changes, building, testing, and reporting. This automation is key to the efficiency and effectiveness of the CI process.

Question 17

What are the factors of change analysis?

Answer 17

(1) Consequences of not making the change
(2) The benefits of making the change
(3) costs of making the change
(4) number of users affected by the change
(5) the product release cycle

Question 18

What happens when a change is required?

Answer 18

Identifies item for change -> Submit change request -> is the CR complete? -> yes -> perform change analysis -> is CR feasible? -> yes -> assign a developer -> implement the change -> verified CR? -> yes -> baseline

If CR not complete or not feasible, we have to inform the requester
If CR not verified, we have to assign a developer.

(Refer to flowchart on lecture slide)