Description / Abstract:
INTRODUCTION
Overview of Configuration Management. To manage the
development and procurement of modern-day hardware and software
systems, the project management concept and many engineering,
logistic, and management disciplines have developed over the
years.
Configuration Management (CM) is the special name that has been
coined to describe those specialized engineering management
practices used by industry and the Government to define and control
items (sometimes referred to as configuration items (CIS)) in their
inventories. CM supports the establishment of a product service
network for all hardware, software, and supporting data in the form
of drawings, design documents, operating manuals, repair
instructions, etc., being developed, and ensures the continued
serviceability of these items as changes are made throughout their
service lives.
The overall objective of CM is to guarantee the procuring
activity that a given product is what it was intended to be -
functionally and physically, as defined by contractual drawings and
specifications, and to identify the configuration to the lowest
level required to assure repeatable performance, quality, and
reliability in future products of the same type.