Considerations in tool selection

While a number of factors determine the appropriateness of a particular tool, the following is an initial list of information that is required to evaluate a tool for suitability.
* Product
* Number of products
* Shared/common components
* Application complexity
* Number of platforms supported; number of platforms on which development is performed
* Maintenance of multiple versions (multiple platforms, application variants)
* Project
* Size of project
* Need to maintain, control, adapt, extend, etc. - project or product
* Risks associated with the product, project, and related commitments
* Process
* Code structure and techniques
* Concurrent development
* Paradigm (configuration items, developers' requirements for access, managers' requirements for control and information)
* Stability and flexibility
* People
* Organization size and experience
* Capacity of the organization to adapt
* Existing tools that will be retained
* In the engineering organization
* In organizations that interface with engineering
* Integration with other tools under consideration
* Project management
* Build management
* Customer technical support
* Problem reporting and tracking

Based on Feiler's characterization of current CM tools, certain aspects of tool functionality and process automation emerge as key differentiators among the competing models and tools.

* Merging and propagation of changes (to support multiple versions, concurrent development, shared/common components)
* Among parallel versions
* Between branches and mainstream or shared core
* Restoration of previous versions
* Identification and control of changes
* Identification and control of product and product components
* Automated build management

With this information, the ability of a tool to support a particular organization and its development practices can be evaluated objectively and any requirements for immediate or future customization can be defined.

Bibliography and Recommended Reading

[Ba1] Wayne A. Babich, Software Configuration Management, Addison Wesley Publishing Company, Reading MA, 1986

[Bb1] R.C. Bamford and W.J. Deibler, Comparing, contrasting ISO 9001 and the SEI capability maturity model, IEEE Computer, October 1993, Vol 26, No. 10, IEEE Computer Society, page 68

[Bb2] R.C. Bamford and W.J. Deibler, A Detailed Comparison of the SEI Software Maturity Levels and Technology Stages to the Requirements for ISO 9001 Registration, Software Systems Quality Consulting, San Jose, Calif., 1993.

[Bb3] R.C. Bamford and W.J. Deibler, MKS RCS Version 6.2 and ISO 9001, Software Systems Quality Consulting, San Jose, Calif., 1993.

[Bb4] R.C. Bamford and W.J. Deibler, ISO Implementation as a Managed Process - A Software Perspective, Software Systems Quality Consulting, San Jose, Calif., 1993.

[Da1] Susan A. Dart, The Past, Present, and Future of Configuration Management, CMU/SEI-92-TR-8, Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA, July 1992 (available by anonymous ftp from ftp.sei.cmu.edu)

[Fe1] Peter H. Feiler, Configuration Management Models in Commercial Environments, CMU/SEI-91 -TR-7, Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA, March 1991 (available by anonymous ftp from ftp.sei.cmu.edu)

[Hu1] Watts S. Humphrey, Managing the Software Process, Addison Wesley Publishing Company, New York, August 1990 (Reprinted with corrections)

[Ie1] IEEE Std 828-1990, IEEE Standard for Software Configuration Management Plans, IEEE, 345 E. 47th St., New York, NY (from the Spring 1991 Software Engineering Standards Collection, April 5, 1991)

[Ie2] IEEE Std 610.12-1990, IEEE Standard Glossary of Software Engineering Terminology, , IEEE, 345 E. 47th St., New York, NY (from the Spring 1991 Software Engineering Standards Collection, April 5, 1991)

[In1] ISO 9001:1987 Model for design/development, production, installation and servicing, International Organisation for Standardisation, Geneva, Switzerland, 1987

[In2] ISO 9000-3:1991 Guidelines for the application of ISO 9001 to the development, supply and maintenance of software, International Organisation for Standardisation, Geneva, Switzerland, 1991

[In3] ISO 9000-1:1994 Quality management and quality assurance standards - Guidelines for selection and use, International Organisation for Standardisation, Geneva, Switzerland, 1994

[In4] ISO 9004-1:1994 Quality management and quality system elements - Guidelines, International Organisation for Standardisation, Geneva, Switzerland, 1991

[Pa1] Mark C. Paulk et al., Capability Maturity Model for Software, Version 1.1, CMU/SEI-93-TR-24, Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA 15213, February 1993

[Pa2] Mark C. Paulk et al., Key Practices of the Capability Maturity Model, Version 1.1, CMU/SEI-93-TR-25, Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA 15213, March 1993

[Pr1] Roger S. Pressman, A Manager's Guide to Software Engineering, McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York, 1993

[Wh1] David Whitgift, Methods and Tools for Software Configuration Management, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1992

Originally published in the Summer1999 issue of Methods & Tools