Appendix C. Agile SCM

by Stephen P. Berczuk and Brad Appleton

Software Configuration Management (SCM) is crucial to the success of agile projects. A team without effective SCM practices gets slowed down by the extra work each developer must perform when there is no easy way of synching up with his or her teammates. A well-designed and light SCM process actually speeds up the project.

This appendix is divided into two sections. In the first section, we identify key strategies, or patterns , that should allow the agile team to stay safe with an ultralight selection of SCM practices. ^[1] In the second section, we describe how the SCM terms in this book map to the practices of the common agile project.

^[1] Adapted, with permission, from Stephen P. Berczuk and Brad Appleton. 2003. Software Configuration Management Patterns: Effective Teamwork, Practical Integration . Boston: Addison-Wesley.

The key to understanding the agile mappings is to recall that agile projects rely on good, two-way dialogue with the user ; delivery of running, tested code every two to twelve weeks; and frequent, early feedback on the quality of both the requirements and the design. With this three-layered safety net in place the following mappings become effective.