Analysis of the Configuration Management needs for ALM-PLM.
To support the work of the new Configuration Management workgroup the ALM-PLM Interoperability WG is analysing and summarising the explicit or implicit needs of the base scenario.
Assign & communicate the change request (a1, a2, a3)
a1 Assign change request context
Configuration Management Notes:
Context is the means to identify or achieve a desired system or product configuration
Typically the configuration of concern has some significance like a released baseline
Assign means to associate the CR with the context
Implies that context is a also a means of limiting the scope, in this case of a change request
Scope can be limited to some aspect of a configuration e.g. some region of it’s product structure or its intended use e.g. effectivity
a2 Submit change request
a3 Locate change request from notification
Apply request context to establish impacted requirements & implementation (a4, a5, a6)
a4 Locate requirements in change request context
Configuration Management Notes:
- Locate means use the context to locate affected requirements
a5 Create new revision of requirements context and reserve for editing
Configuration Management Notes:
Create new revision of … context means create a target configuration
Revision means version
Target configuration is meant here as initially some kind of identity or placeholder to collect or update the artefacts
Reserve for editing means allow changes to only certain aspects of the target configuration (i.e. control changes)
Implies that requirements, like all artefacts are under version, configuration and control
Implies some means of limiting the reservation to certain requirements
a6 Open new revision of context
Configuration Management Notes:
Implies allows modification of the contents of the target configuration
Implies controls on the content of the target configuration may be relaxed during editing or build up
The ordering of the creation of the new revision, reservation for editing and open of the new version may vary by tool
Locate re-usable implementations to meet changed requirements (a7)
a7Locate reusable implementation to satisfy change
Configuration Management Notes:
Locate reusable …. to satisfy implies location, and assessment, by criteria towards some design goal.
Reusable …to satisfy may include the ability to meet criteria associated with the context
Satisfy within a context may require alternative or substitute artefacts to be hosted in the configuration
Then a choice of either
update solution by way of adaption of re-usable implementations (a8, a9, a10, a13, a14, a15)
a8Add selected implementation to change request as solution
a9Merge selected implementation into context
a10Trace to discipline responsibility
a11Analyse detailed requirements & existing implementation
a12Design minor updates to existing implementationDesign by sub-team needed
or
design solution by original design (a10, a11, a12, a15)
a10Trace to discipline responsibility
a11Design new implementation
a12Add new design to customer requested solution
a15 Repeat Decide if Design by sub-team needed and repeat a8-a14
SUMMARY of capability
CM capability 1: Ability to identify a controlled product or system configuration to be used as the starting point for the change, the initial context e.g. a baseline
CM capability 2: Ability to use the context to control configuration or change activities e.g. the SE is allowed to work in this system context
CM capability 3: Ability to achieve a context by applying or relaxing criteria to resolve configurations E.g. Selection of options or Effectivity
CM capability 4: Ability to progressively build up, or extend, a target configuration with or without criteria applied
CM capability 5 : Ability to apply business rules to a configuration or at some point in a configured structure such as update control (e.g. checkout, checkin) or associate with an activity (e.g. Change Request) as a target configuration
(updated 8/10/12)
CM capability 6: Ability to record and use the configuration state along with the prevailing criteria and associated activities (includes pre and post condition)
