TABLE OF CONTENTS Configuration management A process for establishing and maintaining consistency of a product's performance, functional, and physical attributes with its requirements, design, and operational information throughout its life.
The activities discussed in previous chapters described how the design of a product evolves from concept to reality. This evolution must be documented and controlled. Configuration management is the process that maintains total visibility of this design evolution. This is achieved through a series of detailed events that provide complete documentation of each change to the product design. The importance of configuration management can be summarized in three words: interoperability, supportability, and reproducibility. Figure 12-1 illustrates that configuration management is the foundation for system success.
| Product success | ||
| Interoperability | Supportability | Reproducibility |
| Configuration management |
Products must operate with other products, mate with power sources, use support resources, and fit into higher systems. Interoperability is the highest requirement for configuration management. This can be achieved only by defining and controlling the physical and functional interfaces between the product being developed and all other products or systems where it will be used, installed, or supported. The system architecting and system engineering activities discussed in Chapter 4 must incorporate all interoperability requirements in the final design of the product. Configuration management is responsible for maintaining the documentation of any interface requirements for the product. Typically, this interface is documented in an interface control drawing (ICD) where necessary, or the interface may be identified through established...
