SEN: Configuration Management

• Why we need configuration management?
  
  • Need to redo the same product.
    
  • Need for the mastering the development of complex system.
    
• Objectives
  
  • To know the physical and functional description of the product, its components and the associated supporting elements.
    
  • To enable each participant to use coherent and validated data.
    
• Definitions
  
  • Product – Result of process, there are 4 generic product categories:
    
    • Services
      
    • Software
      
    • Hardware
      
    • Processed materials (e.g. lubricant)
      
  • Product tree – Hierarchical structure depicting the product orientated breakdown of the project orientated breakdown of the project into successive levels of detail down to the configuration items.
    
  • Configuration – Functional or physical characteristics of a product defined in configuration definition documents subject to configuration baseline.
    
  • Configuration item – Aggregation(การรวมกัน) of hardware, software, processed materials, services or any of its discrete portions, that is designated for configuration management and treated(ปฏิบัติ, รักษา)
    as a single entity in the configuration management process.
    

    ** Configuration item can contain other configuration item(s).

• The configuration item (เริ่มเจาะรายละเอียด)
  • Starting point = the product tree
    • Breakdown of the system down to a level allowing
    • Each subsystem is seen as a black box by the other ones.
    • It is the kernel of the project structure and serves as main input for:
      • Configuration Management
      • Work Breakdown Structure
  • Configuration items selection:
    
    • Identification of the products that will be retained as configuration item.
      
    • The configuration items are identified at different levels of the product tree.
      
    • When a product has been selected as a configuration item, its father in the product tree is necessarily a configuration item.
      
    • The selection of the configuration items shell be performed in the same time than the WBS preparation because a configuration item has an influence on the WBS: reviews, documents deliveries, schedule…
      
  • Configuration items selection criteria:
    
    • Is the product critical from a safety, schedule or financials point of view?
      
    • Will the product require development of a new design or a significant (อย่างสำคัญ) modification to an existing design?
      
    • Does the product incorporate new or unproven technologies?
      
    • Does the product have an interface with hardware or software developed under another contract?
      
    • Is the item required for logistic support or activity?
      
    • Do all components of the product have common mission, installation and deployment requirements, common testing and acceptance?
      
• Configuration baselines: Approved status of requirements and design of product at project key milestone that serves as reference for activities the life cycle of the product.
  

  Product lifecycle
  System analysis -> Preliminary Definition -> Detailed Definition -> Production -> Utilization
  

  • The configuration baselines are supported by the product lifecycle.
  • Established at PRR (Preliminary Requirements Review)
  • Based on the URD (User Requirements Documents)
  • Functional Configuration Baseline
    • Established at SRR (System Requirements Review)
    • Based on the TRD (Technical Requirements Document)
  • Development Configuration Baseline
    • Established at PDR (Preliminary Design Review)
    • Based on : Internal architecture
    • URD of the products of the next lowest level, including interfaces.
  • Design baseline
    • Established at CDR (Critical Design Review)
    • Based on: Approved design of the product.
    • Tests specifications and procedures.
  • Product configuration baseline
    
    • Established at QR (Qualification Review) & AR (Acceptance Review).
    • Based on: All the data necessary for production, acceptance, operation, support and disposal.
  • The configuration baseline is formally established:
    • Review data package -> Prior to the review, the documentation is sent to the customer and/or to a review team.
    • The customer/review team will formalize his comments by using a dedicated form: RID (Review Item Discrepancy)
• As designed and as built configurations
  
  • Link between configuration baselines and as-designed configuration.
    
  • As designed configuration is composed of the last approved baseline and all the departure approved since the last baseline establishment.
    
  • What is a change?
    • Agreed evolution of a configuration baseline.
    • A change may be originated by
      • An anomaly.
      • An evolution of the need.
      • A bad understanding of the need.
      • A feasibility problem.
  • What is a deviation?
    • Permission to depart from the originally specified requirements for a product prior to realization.
      ** Note: A deviation permit is generally given for limited quantity of product or period of time, and for a specific use.
    • What is a Waiver (or concession)?
      • Permission to use or release a product that does not conform
        (เหมือนหรือคล้ายกัน) to specify requirements.
        
• The Configuration Control Board (CCB) is a regular meeting aiming at providing all the decisions related to the treatment
  (การดูแล, การทำให้คืนสภาพ) of the changes and departures.
  
• Identification marking: Each item, H/W and S/W is uniquely identified by a specific identification code.
  
  • This identification code allows distinguishing a product during its entire lifecycle.

Configuration management System Engineer

Aoddy

"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer." Albert Einstein Invester | Developer | Defier | Cryptonian | Wife lover.