Identification and Storage

Identification of configuration items is typically done with text and source code repositories using commercial and open -source version control tools such as CVS, Visual Source-Safe, Perforce, BitKeeper, and simple out-of-the-box installations of higher-end tools like ClearCase. Items are checked-out of and checked-in to controlled library storage (the Repository or "code base") to and from a dynamic storage library called the developer's Private Workspace .

A brief textual description is typically created to convey the overall source-code directory structure of the code base. Build scripts such as Makefiles or ANT recipes, along with the instructions necessary to successfully build the system with minimal recompilation, describe physical build-dependencies. Any special configuration files, or external tools, libraries, or databases required to build, install, or upgrade the software are often checked-in directly to the Repository , or else separately archived and versioned with noted dependencies of the corresponding compatible version(s) of the code base.

Releases and significant build milestones are identified in the code base using the "tag" or "label" facilities of the version control tool. The label makes it possible to reproducibly identify every revision of every file in the Repository that participated in the build or release.

The metadata maintained by the version control Repository , combined with the physical code structure description, and build and dependency information is typically sufficient identification for the agile project.