SEON: Networked Ontology Specification

Configuration Management Process Ontology (CMPO)

1. Ontology Description

The Configuration Management Process Ontology (CMPO) aims at representing the activities, artifacts and stakeholders involved in the software Configuration Management Process. Since CMPO can be applied in the context of several SE subdomains, it describes some general notions applicable for diverse SEON concepts.

2. Related Ontologies

Networked ontologies used by CMPO:

3. Ontology Models

Figure 1 presents the conceptual model of the CMPO.

Figure 1. CMPO conceptual model.

The Configuration Management (CM) Process is a Process with the purpose of conducting the activities related to software configuration management, ensuring the completeness and correctness of software Configuration Items.
Some notions are important for this process. Item is anything whose configuration may be managed (such as an artifact, tool, or process description). Configuration Item (CI) is an Item whose configuration is being managed. The most important type of CI in this context is the Artifact CI, an Artifact whose configuration is being managed, and, like so, subject of Change Requests. A CI bears Versions defining each of its important releases. When a Version of an Artifact CI is modified in a Change Control process, an Artifact Copy, based on the desired Version, is created to be modified and then gives rise to a new Version of that Artifact CI. Finally, Baselines are Information Items embracing a set of CIs' Versions at a specific time in the product's life.
The CM Process is composed of five Activities: (1) Configuration Management Planning plans the Configuration Management Process creating the Configuration Management Plan, and including the activities for Configuration Management System Establishment and Configuration Items Identification. (2) Change Control formally controls the modification of CIs supported by an evolving Change Request artifact. Change Control is composed of five activities: Change Requesting, to someone communicate a request for a change; Request Evaluation, an evaluation to authorize or reject a Change Request; Change Accomplishment, for implementing the authorized changes in a version controlled context; Change Review, for approving the changes done if they were made as planned; and Change Request Closing, for finishing the Change Request. (3) Baseline Establishment creates Baselines embracing planned sets of CIs' Versions. (4) Configuration Auditing verifies the completeness, integrity and conformity of Baselines and Deliverable Products, registering nonconformities as needed. (5) Finally, Release Management and Delivery manages the building, releasing and delivering of products to the clients.
Considering Stakeholders, the Configuration Manager is the main responsible for the process. Different roles apply for specific activities: Change Requester, Change Request Evaluator, Change Implementer, Change Reviewer and Configuration Auditor.

4. Concepts Definition

The following table shows the definitions for CMPO concepts.

Concept	Definition
Artifact CI	Artifact whose configuration is being managed. Ex.: Documents, Models, Software Products under Configuration Management.
Artifact Copy	Copy of an Artifact that is under version control.
Baseline	Information Item packaging a set of Configuration Items' Versions at a specific time in the product's life (for a product delivery or to establish a relevant point in the Project). Ex.: Release 01 Baseline, established for the first delivered product for the client; Planning baseline, established after project planning is established and agreed.
Baseline Establishment	Activity for establishing a Baseline embracing a planned set of Configuration Items' Versions.
CR Being Solved	Change Request being solved after authorization.
Change Accomplishment	Activity for performing the authorized changes in a set of Configuration Items under version control.
Change Control	Activity for formally controlling the modification of Configuration Items, in a process of requesting, evaluating, changing and reviewing.
Change Implementation	Activity for implementing the changes requested and approved for a Configuration Item.
Change Implementer	Stakeholder responsible for implementing a change in Configuration Items.
Change Request (CR)	Information Item describing a request for modification on a set of Configuration Items. Ex.: a request for changing the project planning replacing a developer, which affects the Project Plan and the Project Schedule.
Change Request Closing	Activity for closing a reviewed and approved Change Request.
Change Request Evaluator	Stakeholder responsible for evaluating if a Change Request should be implemented or not.
Change Requester	Stakeholder responsible for requesting a change in Configuration Items.
Change Requesting	Activity for requesting the modification of a set of Configuration Items.
Change Review	Activity for reviewing an accomplished change assuring that the modifications were made as planned.
Change Reviewer	Stakeholder responsible for reviewing the changes in Configuration Items regarding a Change Request.
Checkin	Activity for including new Versions of Configuration Items into a version control repository.
Checkout	Activity for accessing defined versions of Configuration Items from a version control repository, usually for changing purposes.
Closed CR	Change Request closed after solved, reviewed and approved.
Communicated CR	Change Request in the first phase, communicated.
Configuration Audit Report	Document reporting the results of a Quality Audit Performing, including Noncompliance and Corrective Action Registers.
Configuration Auditing	Activity for verifying that a Baseline or a Deliverable Product is complete, consistent and in conformity with the specified requirements.
Configuration Auditor	Stakeholder responsible for auditing the Configuration Management related results.
Configuration Item (CI)	Object whose configuration is being managed. Ex.: Artifacts, Process descriptions, Tools under Configuration Management.
Configuration Items Identification	Activity for identifying the Configuration Items of a Project.
Configuration Management Plan	Document describing the configuration management parameters for conducting the process, including the identified Configuration Items types, the configuration systems and the planned Baselines, Configuration Audits, and Products Deliveries.
Configuration Management Planning	Activity for planning the Configuration Management Process, including, among others, the Configuration Management System Establishment and the Configuration Items Identification.
Configuration Management Process	Process for conducting the activities related to software configuration management, ensuring the completeness and correctness of software Configuration Items.
Configuration Management System Establishment	Activity for establishing the configuration management system, usually composed of version control system, a change control system and a product building system.
Configuration Manager	Stakeholder responsible for planning and managing the Configuration Management Process.
Deliverable Product	Software Product ready to be delivered to the client.
Evaluated CR	Change Request evaluated and set as authorized or rejected.
Item	Object whose configuration may be managed. Ex.: Artifacts, Process descriptions, Tools.
Release Management and Delivery	Activity for managing the building, releasing and delivering of the products to be delivered to clients.
Request Evaluation	Activity for evaluating the Change Request for a set of Configuration Items, authorizing or rejecting it.
Reviewed CR	Change Request reviewed to check if the modifications done are correct.
Solved CR	Change Request solved through the Change Implementation.
Version	Each identified release of a Configuration Item submitted to a version control repository. Ex.: Project Plan of Project Alfa, version 01; Requirements Document of Project Alfa, version 03.

Detailed Concepts