12th European Conference on Object-Oriented Programming Brussels, Belgium, July 20 - 24, 1998
	Tutorial T5 (SCM-8)

The Agony and Ecstasy of Configuration Management

This tutorial is designed to expose the agony and ecstasy of configuration management (CM) i.e., the challenges in adopting a good CM solution along with the benefits of having a well-thought out and implemented CM solution. Many companies realize that CM is a vital part of their business strategy. In fact, it is a key part in keeping them competitive as well as expanding their product lines. But, most companies struggle with adopting a CM solution or improving their existing approach. A key problem for companies is the definition CM. This tutorial will look at the spectrum of CM operational elements which includes: version control, build management, change tracking, process control, workspace management, parallel and distributed development, repository management, and audit control. The typical CM problems and the benefits of CM will be addressed along with the common approaches that companies use to adopt a CM solution. Highlighted will be the more challenging aspects of CM which include: release planning, change sets, distributed development, people issues, risk management, ties with related tools such as document management and help desk, and process issues. An overview of CM tools that provide different levels of support will be given This tutorial is suited to practitioners who want broader exposure to the operational issues regarding CM and for those who seek a comprehensive introduction to CM.

BIOGRAPHY:

Susan Dart is President of Dart Technology Strategies, Inc., an independent consulting firm that helps companies achieve process improvement via the adoption of technology, Her firm specializes in configuration management (CM). Ms Dart has 22 years of experience in industry and academia, focusing on software tools and software development environments. She has over 40 international publications, including co-author of the Ovum book on Evaluating Configuration Management Tools. Ms Dart also participates on the United States' Federal Aviation Authority panel on CM, and has completed over 25 workshops/seminars worldwide. Before starting her own company, Ms Dart was Vice President of Process Technology at Continuus Software Corporation, where she developed adoption services to assist strategic customers in achieving the best possible CM solution. Previous to that, she spent 7 years at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) of Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) USA, developing models for CM and environments, earning her an international reputation in these fields. Prior to the SEI, Ms Dart developed compilers at Tartan, Inc. and telecommunications software and standards for Telstra, Australia. Ms Dart has a Master's Degree in Software Engineering from CMU and a Bachelor's Degree with Distinction from RMIT, Australia.