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Video Title: Configuration Management
Description: Configuration Management
Watch more Videos at https://www.tutorialspoint.com/videotutorials/index.htm
Lecture By: Mr. Arnab Chakraborty, Tutorials Point India Private Limited
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Configuration Management is the topic in
this session.

We know that at the beginning of our
software development process, we are

having the requirement gathering.

So, then we shall make one software
requirement specification document.

So, sometimes it may happen that,
when the software is getting developed,

a new requirement or set up new
requirements have come in.

So, now what will happen?

Whether these recommends are going to get
implemented in the same version or not?

That will have some sanction from the
higher authorities.

And they will
check whether this particular recommend

implementation will go beyond the budget or
over on the time.

So, depending upon these criteria,
the decision will be taken, whether those

new requirements are
going to get implemented in the

present developing version or in the
later versions.

So, now let us concentrate on this
configuration management, because this

configuration
management is actually based on that

very scenario,
whatever I have discussed right now.

Configuration management is a process of
tracking and controlling the changes in

software in terms of
the requirements, design,

functions and
development of the product.

So, change is inevitable.

So, changes will be coming.

There are different sources of this change
requests.

In short, we will be calling it as CR.

So, that is
why this configuration management

will be dealing with
this change management.

So, IEEE defines it as the process of
identifying and defining the items in the

system, controlling the change of these
items throughout their life cycle and

recording and reporting the status of
items and change requests and verifying

the completeness and correctness of the
item.

So, that is the actual definition of our
configuration management.

So, that means, it will actually control
the change of these items and also their

respective life cycles, recording and
reporting the status of the items.

So, what is the current Confirm status of
these items and change requests and

verifying the completeness and correctness
of these items.

So, generally once
the SRS is finalized, there is

less chance of
requirements of changes from the user.

I told you this one.

That means, when the requirement
specification list or the requirement

specification document will be finalized,
then there is a very low chance to have

the new requirements coming from the
customer side.

So, if they occur, the changes are
addressed only with prior approval of

higher management as there is a
possibility of cost and time overrun.

So, it may go beyond the budget if you
want to implement them or we can miss the

deadline if you want to implement this
latter recommends.

Now, let us go for the baseline.

In a very generic way, baseline is the
common threat upon point.

So, that will be known as the baseline.

That means, a project will be having a
progress.

That project
will be under constant monitoring and

control which we discussed
in the earlier videos.

So, what we can consider that?

We shall take the current snapshot of the
project, regarding the different project

activity, progress, the respective status
and all.

That will be considered as a baseline.

So, next time if we have some updates,
we will be considering Depending the prior

baseline and
depending upon that, we shall take the

decisions and
then the next baseline will be originated.

So, in this way, for a single project in
its progress, we can keep multiple

baselines for their respective growth and
their respective to denote the respective

progress of the software development
process.

A phase of SDLC is assumed over it
baselined, that is baseline is a

measurement that defines completeness of a
phase.

So, we know that in case of SDLC,
we are having multiple different phases

through which a process the software
development is going to take place.

So, now, it will this baseline will depict
the completeness of a certain phase.

A phase is baselined
when all activities

pertaining to
it are finished and well documented.

And if it was not the
final phase, the output, this

output would
be used in the next immediate phase.

So, this particular output of this
particular phase will be propagated to the

next phase, if this particular phase is
not the final phase.

So, configuration management is a
discipline of organization administration,

which takes care of occurrence of any
changes and that is a process,

requirement, technological, strategical.

So, these are the changes categories are
there.

And after the
phase is baselined, the configuration

management keeps
check of any changes done in the software.

So, now, whenever the baseline will be
implemented, so whatever the changes,

this configuration management will be
taking care of that.

And whatever the changes have been asked
to be done on the software, this

configuration management will keep a
constant watch on that, and keeps check of

any changes done in the respective
software.

So, that is why change requests and this
baseline, this configuration management,

all these terms we are using in our discussion
in a very, in a very frequent manner.

Why change requests?

So, that is a very important question.

Why the change requests is to come?

So, software
must be adapted to meet the requirement

of new computing
environments or technology.

So, now, what is happening?

We have developed one software in say
version 1.0.

So, now, we are
having another new technology which

has come
in the market, let it be the version 2.0.

So, now, this particular
software has to be

migrated from this
version to that version.

And we can also add some more
capabilities.

So, that might be the, this to adapt with
the new technology, with the new

innovations that change request might get
originated.

So, software must be integrated to
implement new business recommends.

So, that is
one, one particular company that they

were, they were in
the food product business.

So, they used to manufacture food
products.

So, now, they are migrating along with
this food product business.

So, now, they are going for tour and
travelling business.

So, So, what will happen?

That very particular company will be
requiring to add more features,

more functionalities,
with respect to the new

business
wing, whatever they are going to open.

So,
they want to integrate those respective

functional
requirements in the existing software.

So, when the company will grow or when the
company will sink, so in both cases,

change requests will get originated.

So, software must be extended to make it
interoperable with other more modern

technology platform or different
databases.

So, interoperability is one of the
features of a software.

So, to implement that one, to integrate that
one, change requests may get originated.

Software
must be rearchitectured and to make it

compatible within the new networking
environment.

The hardware may
change, the software versions

may change,
the networking environment may change.

So, both of them, all of them will
generate change requests.

Change control, we are going to discuss
change control.

So, change control is function of
configuration management, which ensures

that all changes made to the software
system are consistent and made Change as

part organizational rules and regulations.

So, this change control will ensure us
that the change request has got

implemented correctly,
maintaining all the

organizational
rules and the respective regulations.

A change in the configuration of product
goes through following steps.

At first, the identification.

A change request arrives from either
internal or external sources.

So, when change request is identified
formally, it is properly documented.

So, at first, the change request is to be
documented properly.

And then, validation.

Validation, that
is the validity of the change request

is checked and
its handling procedure is confirmed.

So, at first, we should have to check the
validity of the change request.

If the validity fails, then there is no
question to proceed further.

Otherwise, we shall go for the next steps
analysis.

So, the impact of change request is
analyzed in terms of the schedule.

Cost and the required efforts.

So, it will be analyzed that how much
cost, what is the schedule, what is the

extra days we might
be requiring to reflect the

new change request and what is the
effort required.

So, overall impact of the prospective
change on the system will be analyzed.

So, that is the purpose of the analysis
phase.

But obviously, if the validation phase
says that it is validated properly,

then only this analysis phase will come.

Next one is the control.

If the prospective change either impacts
too many entities in the system or it is

unavailable and then it is mandatory to
take approval of hard authorities before

change is getting incorporated onto the
system.

If you find that if the change request is
involving with different entities in the,

in the
respective software system and it is

unavailable that they
are going to get affected.

So, that is why you should take the
permission from the hired authority before

getting this change request incorporated
in the existing software.

It is decided if the change is oath
incorporation or not.

If it is not change request is refused
formally.

So, next one the execution.

If the previous phase determines to
execute the change request, the phase

takes appropriate actions
to execute the change

through a thorough
revision if necessary.

So, if the hired authority permits,
if the hired authority gives the sanction

of this change request, then only the
execution phase will take place.

And it will,
it will take all the actions to execute

the change and through a thorough
revision if necessary.

Next one is the
close The change is verified by current

implementation
and merging with the rest of the system.

So, now the change has got implemented.

Now, it will get merged with the rest part
of the system.

This newly
incorporated change in the software is

documented properly and the request
is formally closed.

So, in this way, the request has got
attended, has got implemented.

Now, it will be merged with the existing
other domain or other part of the software

and then the closed request will take
place.

So, in this
way, we have discussed what is the

configuration
management in this particular video.

Thanks for watching this video.