The Configuration Management is a process of establishing and maintaining a product’s performance, functional and physical attributes with its requirements, design, and functionalities through its life.
In Configuration Management we making sure that these items are managed carefully in entire project & product life cycle. It allows Software Tester to manage their testware and test outputs using same configuration management mechanisms.
Configuration Management is a change control process. It helps in managing & controlling the versions of software and hardware configurations. It is used primarily when software requirements change.
Goal of Configuration Management
- Establish system and project product integrity.
- Maintain this integrity throughout the life cycle.
Activities in Configuration Management
- Configuration item identification
- Change Control
- Status Accounting
- Audits
Configuration Items
It is a decision on identification and control of configuration items. An element of Configuration Management, consisting of the evaluation, coordination, approval or disapproval and implementation of changes to Configuration items after formal establishment of their Configuration identification.
- Software requirements
- Design
- Code
- Test Cases
- Test Scripts
- Test Plan
- Project Plan
Change Control
Change Control is Board including numbers of people which take important decisions regarding the Configuration Management of Projects.
- Project Manager
- User representative
- Funding Manager
- Contractor’s Project Manager
- Configuration Manager
- Quality Manager
- System Engineer
Change Control Process
- Change request submitted by the client.
- Impact Assessment performed by BA
- Recommendation prepared by BA
- Report submitted to CCB
- CCB deliberates and decides
- Approved changes are entered in the configuration management documentation
- Traceability matrices are updated
Project Traceability Matrix
| Requirements | Specifications | Code Version | Test Case No |
| 1.1 | 1.1, 2.6 | 2.0, 2.4, 5.2.1 | 1.0 |
| 1.2 | 1.2 | 7.5 | 3.0 |
| 2.1 | 3.84 | 17.1, 12.4, 1.2.3 | 8.0 |
| 2.2 | 4.7 | 12.1 | 2.0 |
| 2.3 | 3.4 | 6.5 | 8.0 |
Status Accounting
Status Accounting is a part of Configuration Management which consisting recording & reporting of information needed to manage a Configuration effectively.
Audits
Configuration Audits are dividing into functional and physical configuration audits. Audits occur either at delivery or at the moment of effecting the change. A functional configuration audit ensures that functional and performance attributes of a configuration item are achieved.
