Version Control

Articles

Got Configuration Management Best Practices?

Why is it that we keep revisiting configuration management “best practices”? It is not that they are not well covered. It is because they keep changing and every time we look at the process of development from a different perspective, we learn something new. Ben Weatherall found that what we do under the guise of CM differs in how we identify the problems to be solved, how we address those problems, and even what tools are appropriate.

Ben Weatherall's picture Ben Weatherall
Has DevOps Failed?

DevOps has been front and center lately (2011 and 2012) with many organizations working to embrace deployment its recommended practices—sometimes referred to as agile systems administration. However, Bob Aiello writes that in some ways, DevOps has failed and we need to hold our own retrospective to understand how we can best improve.

Bob Aiello's picture Bob Aiello
What the Cloud Wishes It Were

Chris Riley writes that when an organization is considering the cloud, it has to consider its approach as well. The cloud was built on the principles of initiating things fast, and only what you need when you need it. The cloud was not built for people who follow the mantras of  “set it and forget it” and “plan for everything ahead of time.”

Chris Riley
The Center of Excellence

A great way to establish your software engineering processes, training, best practices, reports, and metrics is to build a center-of-excellence (CoE). When complete, a CoE is a team, or entity, that provides the leadership and governance in a focus area. Often the leadership is in the form of items such as, training, documentation, metrics, reporting.

James Sullivan
Global Software Development CM and ALM for Global Software Development

In his CM: The Next Generation Series, Joe Farah writes that there are many reasons that organizations or government agencies use distributed development. Whatever the reason, a software development team, and indeed the entire product team, needs to do all it can to ensure that development proceeds smoothly.

 

Joe Farah's picture Joe Farah
How to Successfully Develop and Deploy DevOps How to Successfully Develop and Deploy DevOps

DevOps puts the focus on automated application lifecycle management supporting development, test, integration, quality assurance (QA), user acceptance testing (UAT), and production. But how do you develop DevOps, and how do you know when you have achieved success?

Bob Aiello's picture Bob Aiello
CM Excellence through People, Not Tools Achieve CM Excellence through People, Not Tools

Great tools and process are not the best formula for software configuration management excellence. Leslie Sachs writes that the most important resources for configuration management excellence are people—the technology professionals and the leaders who guide the team toward CM excellence. This article will help you understand what psychologists have learned regarding some of the essential qualities found among top leaders and others who consistently achieve excellence.

Leslie  Sachs's picture Leslie Sachs
Streamlining and Automating Your Way to CM Excellence

Bob Aiello discusses hands-on software configuration management best practices within the context of organizational and group behavior. Excellence in CM requires that you implement best practices that meet the needs of your team. Done well, automated build, package, and deployment can help streamline the entire software and system development process, improving quality and productivity for your entire team.

Bob Aiello's picture Bob Aiello
Agile Software Configuration Management: Communications and Documentation

Agile software configuration management concepts and right-sizing the documentation on your projects are discussed.

Effective Methods for Software and Systems Integration Effective Methods for Software and Systems Integration

Effective software and systems integration methods allow you to understand the importance of critical factors such as planning, systems design, requirements, software design, configuration management, integration, testing, subcontractors, quality integration, and test facilities.

Boyd Summers

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