Glossary

Audit.

Checking that a configuration item released for usage meets demandsthat it fulfills specifications and, when released, is complete according to configuration management information. In this book, this is regarded as a quality assurance activity.

Baseline.

This expression is not used in this book, except in direct quotes from standards or maturity models.

Binaries.

Files whose contents are translated (compiled) into binary presentations, with strings of only two symbols (0 and 1).

Check-in.

Placement of a configuration item in storage in the controlled library.

Check-out.

Release of a configuration item from storage in the controlled library to production.

Company.

This term is used in many places where the term "organizational unit" would be equally or more appropriate. It's used to avoid writing "company/organization unit" or the like.

Configuration Control Board ( CCB ) or Configuration Change Board.

A group of people responsible for assessing, and approving or rejecting, proposed changes to configuration items and responsible for the performance of approved changes.

Configuration item.

Any intermediate work product, product component, or product placed under configuration management.

Configuration management system.

All the procedure descriptions, templates, and tools that collectively support configuration management performed in a given context.

Dynamic library.

A repository used during production. It is not regarded as belonging to the configuration management process area.

Event.

Something that happens or is noticed, especially when it is important.

Library.

A repository for a collection of items.

Life-cycle-dependent process.

A process in operation for a limited period during the product's lifetime, such as design or unit test. Such a process may be repeated throughout the product's lifetime in an iterative development model.

Life-cycle-independent process.

A process that must be in effect throughout a product's lifetime, such as project management or configuration management.

Master library.

A controlled repository for storing configuration items. Also called a configuration management library.

Metadata.

Information about configuration items. For instance, a document placed under configuration management is a configuration item, while the name and number of the document are metadata for the item.

Procedure.

A number of activities following one another in a given order, producing a certain output on the basis of a certain input.

Process.

Describes how an input is used to create an expected output. The work within a process may be divided and described in a number of process descriptions.

Process description.

A description of the techniques, methods , conventions, and procedures employed in connection with a certain activity.

Product.

Something produced. It may be for internal use, such as a design sketch, or for delivery, such as an entire software system.

Release or Baseline.

A collection of configuration items that together form one configuration item. The collection is formed to be deliverable and useful as an entity.

Static library.

A repository for items in use. It is not regarded as belonging to the configuration management process area.

Support process.

Processes used in all other processes at various points in a software project's life cycle. Support processes in themselves make no sense; they make sense only with other processes. For instance, naming is a support process; naming only makes sense if another process has created a product to name.