Configuration management best practices : practical methods that work in the real world

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Aiello, Bob, Author.

Contributor:

Sachs, Leslie A., Contributor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Information technology--Management.

Information technology.

Configuration management.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxxvii, 229 p.) : ill.

Edition:

1st edition

Place of Publication:

[Place of publication not identified] Addison Wesley 2011

Language Note:

English

System Details:

text file

Summary:

Successfully Implement High-Value Configuration Management Processes in Any Development Environment As IT systems have grown increasingly complex and mission-critical, effective configuration management (CM) has become critical to an organization’s success. Using CM best practices, IT professionals can systematically manage change, avoiding unexpected problems introduced by changes to hardware, software, or networks. Now, today’s best CM practices have been gathered in one indispensable resource showing you how to implement them throughout any agile or traditional development organization. Configuration Management Best Practices is practical, easy to understand and apply, and fully reflects the day-to-day realities faced by practitioners. Bob Aiello and Leslie Sachs thoroughly address all six “pillars” of CM: source code management, build engineering, environment configuration, change control, release engineering, and deployment. They demonstrate how to implement CM in ways that support software and systems development, meet compliance rules such as SOX and SAS-70, anticipate emerging standards such as IEEE/ISO 12207, and integrate with modern frameworks such as ITIL, COBIT, and CMMI. Coverage includes Using CM to meet business objectives, contractual requirements, and compliance rules Enhancing quality and productivity through lean processes and “just-in-time” process improvement Getting off to a good start in organizations without effective CM Implementing a Core CM Best Practices Framework that supports the entire development lifecycle Mastering the “people” side of CM: rightsizing processes, overcoming resistance, and understanding workplace psychology Architecting applications to take full advantage of CM best practices Establishing effective IT controls and compliance Managing tradeoffs and costs and avoiding expensive pitfalls Configuration Management Best Practices is the essential resource for everyone concerned with CM: from CTOs and CIOs to development, QA, and project managers and software engineers to analysts, testers, and compliance professionals. Praise for Configuration Management Best Practices “Understanding change is critical to any attempt to manage change. Bob Aiello and Leslie Sachs’s Configuration Management Best Practices presents fundamental definitions and explanations to help practitioners understand change and its potential impact.” –Mary Lou A. Hines Fritts, CIO and Vice Provost Academic Programs, University of Mi...

Contents:

Cover

Contents

Preface

Introduction

PART I: THE CORE CM BEST PRACTICES FRAMEWORK

Chapter 1 Source Code Management

Goals of Source Code Management

Principles of Source Code Management

1.1 Why Is Source Code Management Important?

1.2 Where Do I Start?

1.3 Source Code Management Core Concepts

1.4 Defect and Requirements Tracking

1.5 Managing the Globally Distributed Development Team

1.6 Tools Selection

1.7 Recognizing the Cost of Quality (and Total Cost of Ownership)

1.8 Training

1.9 Defining the Usage Model

1.10 Time to Implement and Risks to Success

1.11 Establishing Your Support Process

1.12 Advanced Features and Empowering Users

Conclusion

Chapter 2 Build Engineering

Goals of Build Engineering

Principles of Build Engineering

2.1 Why Is Build Engineering Important?

2.2 Where Do I Start?

2.3 Build Engineering Core Concepts

2.4 Core Considerations for Scaling the Build Function

2.5 Build Tools Evaluation and Selection

2.6 Cost of Quality and Training

2.7 Making a Good Build Better

2.8 The Role of the Build Engineer

2.9 Architecture Is Fundamental

2.10 Establishing a Build Process

2.11 Continuous Integration Versus the Nightly Build

2.12 The Future of Build Engineering

Chapter 3 Environment Configuration

Goals of Environment Configuration Control

Principles of Environment Configuration Control

3.1 Why Is Environment Configuration Important?

3.2 Where Do I Start?

3.3 Supporting Code Promotion

3.4 Managing the Configuration

3.5 Practical Approaches to Establishing a CMDB

3.6 Change Control Depends on Environment Configuration

3.7 Minimize the Number of Controls Required

3.8 Managing Environments

3.9 The Future of Environment Configuration

Chapter 4 Change Control.

Goals of Change Control

Principles of Change Control

4.1 Why Is Change Control Important?

4.2 Where Do I Start?

4.3 The Seven Types of Change Control

4.4 Creating a Change Control Function

4.5 Examples of Change Control in Action

4.6 Don't Forget the Risk

4.7 Driving the CM Process Through Change Control

4.8 Entry/Exit Criteria

4.9 After-Action Review

4.10 Make Sure That You Evaluate Yourself

Chapter 5 Release Management

Goals of Release Management

Principles of Release Management

5.1 Why Is Release Management Important?

5.2 Where Do I Start?

5.3 Release Management Concepts and Practices

5.4 The Ergonomics of Release Management

5.5 Release Management as Coordination

5.6 Requirements Tracking

5.7 Taking Release Management to the Next Level

Chapter 6 Deployment

Goals of Deployment

Principles of Deployment

6.1 Why Is Deployment Important?

6.2 Where Do I Start?

6.3 Practices and Examples

6.4 Conducting a Configuration Audit

6.5 Don't Forget the Smoke Test

6.6 Little Things Matter a Lot

6.7 Communications Planning

6.8 Deployment Should Be Delegated

6.9 Trust But Verify

6.10 Improving the Deployment Process

PART II: ARCHITECTURE AND HARDWARE CM

Chapter 7 Architecting Your Application for CM

Goals of Architecting Your Application for CM

7.1 Why Is Architecture Important?

7.2 Where Do I Start?

7.3 How CM Facilitates Good Architecture

7.4 What Architects Can Learn From Testers

7.5 Configuration Management-Driven Development (CMDD)

7.6 Coping with the Changing Architecture

7.7 Using Source Code Management to Facilitate Architecture

7.8 Training Is Essential

7.9 Source Code Management as a Service

7.10 Build Engineering as a Service

Conclusion.

Chapter 8 Hardware Configuration Management

Goals of Hardware CM

8.1 Why Is Hardware CM Important?

8.2 Where Do I Start?

8.3 When You Can't Version Control a Circuit Chip

8.4 Don't Forget the Interfaces

8.5 Understanding Dependencies

8.6 Traceability

8.7 Deploying Changes to the Firmware

8.8 The Future of Hardware CM

PART III: THE PEOPLE SIDE OF CM

Chapter 9 Rightsizing Your Processes

Goals of Rightsizing Your CM Processes

9.1 Why Is Rightsizing Your Processes Important?

9.2 Where Do I Start?

9.3 Verbose Processes Just Get in the Way

9.4 SPINs and Promoting the CMM

9.5 Disappearing Verbose Processes

9.6 The Danger of Having Too Little Process

9.7 Just-in-Time Process Improvement

9.8 Don't Overengineer Your CM

9.9 Don't Forget the Technology

9.10 Testing Your Own Processes

9.11 Process Consultation

9.12 Create a Structure for Sustainability

Chapter 10 Overcoming Resistance to Change

Goals of Overcoming Resistance to Change

10.1 Why Is Overcoming Resistance to Change Important?

10.2 Where Do I Start?

10.3 Matching Process to Culture

10.4 Mixing Psychology and Computer Programming

10.5 Process Improvement from Within

10.6 Picking Your Battles

10.7 Fostering Teamwork

10.8 Why Good Developers Oppose Process Improvement

10.9 Procedural Justice

10.10 Input from Everyone

10.11 Showing Leadership

10.12 Process Improvement People May Be the Problem

10.13 Combining Process and Technology Training

10.14 Listening to the Rhythm

10.15 Processes Need to Be Tested

10.16 Baby Steps and Process Improvement

10.17 Selling Process Improvement

10.18 What's in It for Me?

10.19 Process Improvement as a Service

10.20 Guerrilla Tactics for Process Improvement

Chapter 11 Personality and CM: A Psychologist Looks at the Workplace

Goals of Understanding Personality: What's in It for Me?

11.1 Personality Primer for CM Professionals

11.2 What Do CM Experts Need to Consider in Terms of Personality?

11.3 Applying Psychology to the Workplace

11.4 Family Dynamics!

11.5 Workplace Culture and Personality

Chapter 12 Learning From Mistakes That I Have Made

Goals of Learning from Mistakes

12.1 Why Is It Important to Learn from Our Mistakes?

12.2 Where Do I Get Started?

12.3 Understanding Our Mistakes

12.4 The Mistakes I Have Made

12.5 Turning a Mistake into a Lesson Learned

12.6 Common Mistakes That I Have Seen Others Make

PART IV: COMPLIANCE, STANDARDS, AND FRAMEWORKS

Chapter 13 Establishing IT Controls and Compliance

Goals of Establishing IT Controls and Compliance

13.1 Why Are IT Controls and Compliance Important?

13.2 How Do I Get Started?

13.3 Understanding IT Controls and Compliance

13.4 Essential Compliance Requirements

13.5 The Moral Argument for Supporting CM Best Practices

13.6 Improving Quality and Productivity Through Compliance

13.7 Conducting a CM Assessment

Chapter 14 Industry Standards and Frameworks

Goals of Using Industry Standards and Frameworks

14.1 Why Are Standards and Frameworks Important?

14.2 How Do I Get Started?

14.3 Terminology Required

14.4 Applying These Terms to the Standards and Frameworks

14.5 Industry Standards

14.6 Industry Frameworks

Index.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9786612700774

9781282700772

1282700774

9780321700001

0321700007

OCLC:

1027150043