Guideline: How to identify configuration items
Main Description

Selection of appropriate configuration items is the key to success of every configuration management operation. Selection of configuration item requires careful evaluation and it is joint decision of management and customer.

Configuration Identification includes

·         Selection of configurations items based on documented criteria.

·         Determining the type of documentation required to capture the important characteristics of each configuration item.

·         Providing unique identifiers for the configuration items

·         Maintenance of identified configuration items.

Identification Criteria

We should establish the identification criteria as early as possible. The following criterion is recommended for identifying configuration items:

·         Work products which are delivered to the customer

·         Work products with multiple developers/users

·         Deliverable of a software lifecycle phase

·         Work products which are critical for the project

·         Work products which are expected to change over time

·         Work products which require logistics support and designated for separate procurement

·         Based on complexity and risk

·         Configuration environment and functionality (example tools )

·         Physical characteristics

See Types of configuration Items for examples of configuration items.

Configuration Documentation

The configuration documentation should help to identify and define the configuration items functional and physical characteristics.

Unique Identification

At the start of the project, it is important to establish an identification system to assign unique identifiers to each configuration item. Identifiers should help to determine and specify the following things:

·         Owner of configuration item

·         Name of  configuration item which can be combination of text, type and number

·         Text : Describing where the configuration items belongs (including external and internal interfaces)

·         Type : Product type of configuration item (example: JSC for code objects written in java)

·         Number: It can be used to distinguish between configuration items of the same type.

·         Version of configuration item

·         Status of configuration item

·         Storage location

·         Storage medium

Activities of assigning unique identifiers may include version marking, labeling, serialization and changing product identifiers to reflect the changes made.