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Nigel Gibson BAeSEMA Limited baesema.co.uk nigel.gibson@baesema.co.uk

Distributed Configuration Management Solution in LIFESPAN™ Environment and Experiences of the VISCOUNT Project. Nigel Gibson BAeSEMA Limited www.baesema.co.uk nigel.gibson@baesema.co.uk. Presentation Topics. Company Background Virtual Software Corporations The VISCOUNT Project LIFESPAN™

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Nigel Gibson BAeSEMA Limited baesema.co.uk nigel.gibson@baesema.co.uk

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  1. Distributed Configuration Management Solution in LIFESPAN™ Environment and Experiences of the VISCOUNT Project Nigel Gibson BAeSEMA Limited www.baesema.co.uk nigel.gibson@baesema.co.uk

  2. Presentation Topics • Company Background • Virtual Software Corporations • The VISCOUNT Project • LIFESPAN™ • VISCOUNT Project Benefits

  3. Company Background • Jointly owned British Aerospace & Sema Group • 1,500 staff, revenues £160m • Markets include: • C4I • Naval Engineering • Warship Prime Contracting • Software Engineering • British Aerospace buying out Sema Group

  4. What is a VSC? • Organisation • internal/external • competitive/collaborative • Geography • local/international • Relationship • contractual/non-contractual

  5. Traditional Partnership Model Customer Supplier Subcontractor

  6. VSC Partnership Model Customer Supplier Third Party Customer Supplier

  7. VSC Key Attributes • Collaborative process • Disparate organisation • Temporary structure • Dynamically forming partnerships • Each partner has clear area of expertise • Mutual accountability • One customer

  8. VSC Risks • Differing business drivers • Communications breakdown • Lack of timely co-ordinated information • Security • Project/organisation • Cultural Differences in: • Procedures • Organisations • Countries • Different tools in different organisations

  9. VSC Benefits • Quick project startup • Minimal infrastructure investment • Flat communication structure • No complex management structures • Each partner does what it does best • Profitability optimised ...Improved productivity

  10. Distributed Configuration Mgt • Important for an efficient VSC • Differing information states: • private (no external read access) • proprietary (general read access) • shared (general read and write access) • Common infrastructure • Developers/managers ideally use the same tools • Reality means reconciling differences/standards ..the above are addressed by the VISCOUNT project

  11. The VISCOUNT Project • Improving distributed configuration management • International partnership • Testing different VSCs in the real world • Improving LIFESPAN™ configuration management tool support for VSCs • VISCOUNT is a VSC!

  12. THE VISCOUNT PROJECT CM Tool Goals Productivity Organisation Communication Specialisation PROCESSES METRICS VSC VSC MEET CONFIGURATION VSC SUPPORT Customers MANAGEMENT ADDRESS VSC VSC Risks REQUIREMENTS TECHNOLOGIES Quality Consistency Security Local Data

  13. The VISCOUNT Partners • BAeSEMA - UK • VTT, Valmet - Finland • debis - Germany • SIA - Italy • Glasgow Caledonian University - UK

  14. VISCOUNT Project Details • Esprit Framework IV supported • 27 mths duration • Phased, prototype approach • Gather requirements • Technology analysis • Implement prototype • Test usability • Develop new prototype

  15. VISCOUNT Project Areas • Product Development • BAeSEMA • User Organisations • Valmet, SIA, debis • Technology Analysis • GCU, VTT • Process Improvement, Metrics • VTT

  16. VISCOUNT is a VSC! • Collaborative approach, single customer • Dynamic partnerships • Project tasks • Exploitation by partners • Concentration on core area of expertise • Geographically dispersed • Mutually accountable

  17. LIFESPAN™ Background • 20 years in Configuration Management • Developed for internal use • Targeted at external market • Originally VAX-based • 150+ customer sites - 3000+ users • UK defence electronics focus • Customers in defence, telecoms, power, transportation

  18. What is Configuration Management? z z z z z z z z z z z z z

  19. The Real Definition... • “The discipline of identifying all components in a continually • evolving system for the purpose of maintaining integrity, • traceability and control over change through its lifecycle.” • BS 6488 - Configuration Management of Computer-Based Systems • Disciplines for • Configuration identification • Baselining • Status Accounting • Procedures for controlling change • Quality & process improvement • Development, production & maintenance

  20. Scope • Requirements • Designs • Code • Test specifications • Platform specifications • User documentation • Standards …Whole Lifecycle Support for all Project “Objects”

  21. Why Automated CM? • Management of complexity • Risk reduction • Security of data assets • Containment of costs • Conformance with standards • Productivity improvement • Quality improvement ...an Essential, Integral Component of your Project

  22. What is LIFESPAN™ ? • Automated CM system • Straightforward operation • Proven in use • Secure, predictable file based control • No complex set up • Platforms: OpenVMS, Unix & Microsoft Windows • Easy to use • Workflow management • Teamworking support

  23. LIFESPAN™ - Key Facilities (I) • Version control • Configuration control • Change control • Fault reporting • Software build management • Release management

  24. LIFESPAN™ - Key Facilities (II) • Impact analysis • Process support • Reporting & audit trails • Archive system • Configurability

  25. Integrate your environment User Interfaces • Fully object oriented • Iconic manipulation • Drag & drop • Optional interface for VT terminals • Application Programming Interface • Class Library • • Automate CM operations • • Tool interface GUI CLIENT API CommandLine Interface • Automate common operations • Fast project take-on • 3rd Party ToolIntegration • • Flexible I/O • • SCCS • Metriflame LIFESPAN™ SERVER Interface CLI Query Reporting • Fast online reports • Ad hoc, repeatable queries • Detailed or summary

  26. Client-Server Architecture Windows NTWindows 95/98 SERVER VMS VAX, Alpha Solaris HP-UX Windows NT Forms (VT100 compatible) TCP/IP or DECnet OpenVMS DECwindows Solaris OpenLook & Motif HP-UX Motif CLIENTS

  27. Change Control Access Control Unapproved Store Approved Store Issue QA Approval LIFESPAN™ - Change Control

  28. LIFESPAN™ Manager Project Manager 1 QA Manager Project Manager 2 Team Leader 1 Team Leader 2 Designer 1 Designer 2 Privileges: QA Prog 2 Tester Prog 1 Privileges: DC operations QA User Roles & Privileges

  29. LIFESPAN™ Manager Project Manager 1 QA Manager Project Manager 1 Team Leader 2 Team Leader 1 Designer 1 Designer 2 Prog 1 Prog 2 Tester 1 LIFESPAN™ ’s e-mail System

  30. Basic Configuration Item Module CM Data MODULE TYPE MODULE NAME Latest Version A VERSION (HISTORY) FirstVersion DESCRIPTION Module Body SOURCE eg Program Code Text 2.1 A FOREIGN eg Binary Graphics PROCESS MODEL

  31. CM Data MODULE TYPE PACKAGE MODULE NAME P P L VERSION (HISTORY) DESCRIPTION X PACKAGE MEMBERS L MODULE N X MODULE N MODULE Structured Configuration Item Package 4.1 P Package L 1.4 3.7 X 2.6 N

  32. Target engagement system Communications system B A Data handling subsystem S P Interface subsytem S P M L V X X N D E X Common software module Y Example of Package Hierarchies

  33. Package P must also be updated 4.1 4.2 P P Package Package L L 1.4 1.4 Module X 3.7 3.8 X X Updated 2.6 2.6 N N Hierarchical Version Control

  34. Change Control Access Control Unapproved Store Approved Store Issue QA Approval LIFESPAN™ - Change Control

  35. LIFESPAN™ - the Key Benefits • Comprehensive CM coverage: • Version control • Configuration control • Secure change control • Fault reporting/tracking • Build/release management • Access/run on multiple platforms • Highly secure database • Effective process support • Configurable access • Impact analysis Assuring Quality, Improving Productivity and Control of the Development Process

  36. LIFESPAN™ Within VISCOUNT • Configuration management key element within VSCs • LIFESPAN™ strategy to support the new paradigm • Improve features and usability • Test technology and features • User feedback paramount

  37. Improving support for VSCs • Flexible process modelling • integrate different processes across organisations • Metrics support • continuous process improvement monitoring and control • Distributed Software Development • process support • configuration management support

  38. Support for metrics • VTT Metriflame integration • report based • on-demand • don’t “re-invent the wheel” • Adoption of GQM/Pr²imer methodology

  39. Integration with other tools • Typical need within VSC • disparate organisations • different methods, tools and processes • temporary hence no mandated conformity • Configuration management tools • STEP-like generic transfer model

  40. Process modelling Metrics Distribution mechanisms Web deployment Security Agent technology Interchange formats Technology Issues

  41. VISCOUNT Lessons Learned • Leading edge not necessarily best (yet) • Java not industrial strength for VSC support • Security remains an issue • Encryption problems • Infrastructure demands! • Iterative prototyping invaluable • Incremental product development • Limited, immediate, real user feedback • VSCs Work! • Project collaboration and focus remain high

  42. VISCOUNT Benefits • VSCs • Improved Service Velocity • Quicker time to market • Improved Customer satisfaction (reqts, flexibility, speed) • Cost reduction in project development • Improved quality • VISCOUNT • Proving different VSC implementations • Improving VSC support tools • BAeSEMA • All the above, plus • Improved LIFESPAN™ product

  43. Summary • VSC - the organisational structure of the future • VISCOUNT is testing and will exploit the VSC concept • Fundamental benefits to business: • improved service velocity • improved quality • improved profitability

  44. THE VISCOUNT PROJECT CM Tool Goals Productivity Organisation Communication Specialisation PROCESSES METRICS VSC VSC MEET CONFIGURATION VSC SUPPORT Customers MANAGEMENT ADDRESS VSC VSC Risks REQUIREMENTS TECHNOLOGIES Quality Consistency Security Local Data

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