Configuration Status Accounting Preface

Hence, a Windows-style format in creating help files (Figure 7.7) has become the de facto standard. Microsoft Help Workshop is often used to assist in developing these help files, which are compiled from RTF ( rich-text format) files. At present, many organizations are practicing a “hit-or- miss ” form of software documentation. These are usually the companies that follow no or few policies and procedures, and loosely follow standards. An assessment procedure was developed to determine where an organization’s documentation process stands relative to the model. This enables a mapping from an organization’s past performance to a documentation maturity level and ultimately generates a documentation process profile.

Plans typically are established at the outset of the CM program and undergo changes as the system evolves and as areas where the plan can be improved are identified. Contractors, in conjunction with the particular agency that will be using https://globalcloudteam.com/ the CM program, often develop the plans. The benefit of the CM plan is that it provides a central location for all CM program information. The developer needs to change the code as per standard development activities or change requests.

Change Control:

There are two levels of product and, thus, two levels of product identifier. End users require a product identifier to possess the ability to order or discuss a particular product or part of that product. The developer, on the other hand, will be privy to https://globalcloudteam.com/glossary/status-accounting/ internal documentation such as test plans and system specifications. Project managers must use the CM process as an administrative support function to improve the effectiveness of management and technical activities in the system development process.

It is designated and fixed at a specific time while conducting the SCM process. CM emphasizes the functional relation between parts, subsystems, and systems for effectively controlling system change. It helps to verify that proposed changes are systematically considered to minimize adverse effects. Changes to the system are proposed, evaluated, and implemented using a standardized, systematic approach that ensures consistency, and proposed changes are evaluated in terms of their anticipated impact on the entire system.

Why do we need Configuration management?

Essentially, while change control ensures that change is being carried out in adherence with the CM plan, configuration audits ensure that the change was appropriately carried out. The most important goal of this process is to prevent lost time on future changes due to inaccurate documentation. If discrepancies are located between the documentation and the item, the personnel carrying out the audit will prescribe a course of action for remedying the problem. Although the majority of software documentation is produced manually ” that is, done with word processing programs or with tools such as Microsoft Visio ” there are also some systems designed to ease the process, that will produce “automatic” documentation.

These programs can also store information to aid in the maintenance and modification of the infrastructure when it is completed. This study yielded results indicating a benefit to using configuration management on projects of this nature. A structured CM program ensures that documentation (e.g., requirements, design, test, and acceptance documentation) for items is accurate and consistent with the actual physical design of the item. In many cases, without CM, the documentation exists but is not consistent with the item itself. For this reason, engineers, contractors, and management are frequently forced to develop documentation reflecting the actual status of the item before they can proceed with a change. This reverse engineering process is wasteful in terms of human and other resources and can be minimized or eliminated using CM.

Software Configuration Management Tools

The key difference between CM and AM is that the former does not manage the financial accounting aspect but on service that the system supports or in other words, that the later is trying to realize value from an IT asset. Configuration status accounting should provide data for the configuration management of life cycle processes with respect to configuration identification, baselines, problem reports, and change control. Configuration status accounting is the process of creating and organizing the knowledge base necessary for the performance of configuration management . Configuration status accounting is the process of creating and organizing the knowledge base necessary for the performance of configuration management. Configuration verification and audit is the process of analyzing configuration items and their respective documentation to ensure that the documentation reflects the current situation.

• The CM plan is the document that will guide the CM program of a particular group.
• CM verifies that a system performs as intended, and is identified and documented in sufficient detail to support its projected life cycle.
• Hence, a Windows-style format in creating help files (Figure 7.7) has become the de facto standard.
• ] configuration management has been applied to large construction projects which can often be very complex and have a huge number of details and changes that need to be documented.
• The CM process became its own technical discipline sometime in the late 1960s when the DoD developed a series of military standards called the “480 series” (i.e., MIL-STD-480, MIL-STD-481 and MIL-STD-483) that were subsequently issued in the 1970s.

Because the complexion of the objects about which status accounting information is collected changes during the item life cycle, as shown in Figure 6.2, the specific outputs will vary. The inputs and outputs in Figure 6.1 may be thought of as generic categories for which there are different specifics in each phase. The high-level summary of CSA tasks shown in the center of Figure 6.1 reflects the functional performance capabilities of a complete CSA process. The Contractor shall provide an organizational structure with configuration identification and control methods, configuration audits, and Configuration Status Accounting procedures for system hardware, software, firmware and deliverables in CMP. As a Business Improvement Lead – Configuration Status Accounting you will understand current configuration registration processes and be able to map a path to the future state of correct, valid, and complete configuration registration. You will act as a process improvement and configuration management coach for the process areas and help them improve their configuration registration performance.

Software

If you attempt to make changes to accounting periods before the batch process completes, you are prompted to wait until the process completes before making any more changes to accounting periods. The Configuration Management team manages global configuration information, enabling ASML to achieve excellent delivery performance at minimum cost. It creates and controls machine configurations and related master data for ASML’s Development & Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing and Customer Services departments. The key difference to configuration management for Agile projects is in the identification step.

In addition, the Bidder shall demonstrate that a Configuration Status Accounting database will be maintained using software tools during the Contract. The consumers of this data have grown more numerous and complex with the growth of programs offered by original equipment manufacturers . These are designed to offer operators guaranteed availability and make the picture more complex with the operator managing the asset but the OEM taking on the liability to ensure its serviceability. Availability of accurate and timely data is essential in order for CM to provide operational value and a lack of this can often be a limiting factor. Capturing and disseminating the operating data to the various support organizations is becoming an industry in itself. Understanding the “as is” state of an asset and its major components is an essential element in preventive maintenance as used in maintenance, repair, and overhaul and enterprise asset management systems.

TYPICAL CSA INFORMATION OVER THE ACQUISITION PROGRAM LIFE CYCLE

The items selected for configuration identification depend upon the scope of the effort. For example, configuration identification may be constrained to software items or may be larger and include system level components ranging from software, hardware, firmware, documentation, and perhaps the CM plan. The plan serves as the primary resource for any questions pertaining to the CM program.

The data repository is the central point for the collection, storage, processing, and promulgation of this data. Configuration information should be available on a request basis, either by hard copy or online computer access. The CSA records are used as “best source” input data for purchasing data packages, design studies, and management analyses requested by the supporting/design activities. In particular, the CSA metadata records must accurately reflect the status of the configuration documents (specifications, drawings, lists, test reports , etc.) maintained in the document repositories. Configuration identification names specific products to be developed during each life cycle phase according to the project plan and quality assurance plan.

Configuration management database

Users can checkout more than one files or an entire copy of the repository. The user then works on the needed file and checks in the changes back to the repository.They can synchronize their local copy to stay updated with the changes made by other team members. When two or more tasks are happening at the same time, it is known as concurrent operation. Concurrency in context to SCM means that the same file being edited by multiple persons at the same time. SCMP defines the person who will be responsible for the entire SCM process and creation of baselines. The SCMP process planning begins at the early coding phases of a project.