Illustrate the SCM process of Software quality management.

It uses the tools which keep that the necessary change has been implemented adequately to the appropriate component. The SCM process defines a number of tasks:

• Identification of objects in the software configuration
• Version Control
• Change Control
• Configuration Audit
• Status Reporting

Processes involved in SCM – Configuration management provides a disciplined environment for smooth control of work products. It involves the following activities:

1. Identification and Establishment – Identifying the configuration items from products that compose baselines at given points in time (a baseline is a set of mutually consistent Configuration Items, which has been formally reviewed and agreed upon, and serves as the basis of further development). Establishing relationships among items, creating a mechanism to manage multiple levels of control and procedure for the change management system.
2. Version control – Creating versions/specifications of the existing product to build new products with the help of the SCM system. A description of the version is given below:Suppose after some changes, the version of the configuration object changes from 1.0 to 1.1. Minor corrections and changes result in versions 1.1.1 and 1.1.2, which is followed by a major update that is object 1.2. The development of object 1.0 continues through 1.3 and 1.4, but finally, a noteworthy change to the object results in a new evolutionary path, version 2.0. Both versions are currently supported.
3. Change control – Controlling changes to Configuration items (CI). The change control process is explained in Figure below:A change request (CR) is submitted and evaluated to assess technical merit, potential side effects, the overall impact on other configuration objects and system functions, and the projected cost of the change. The results of the evaluation are presented as a change report, which is used by a change control board (CCB) —a person or group who makes a final decision on the status and priority of the change. An engineering change Request (ECR) is generated for each approved change. Also, CCB notifies the developer in case the change is rejected with proper reason. The ECR describes the change to be made, the constraints that must be respected, and the criteria for review and audit. The object to be changed is “checked out” of the project database, the change is made, and then the object is tested again. The object is then “checked in” to the database and appropriate version control mechanisms are used to create the next version of the software.
4. Configuration auditing – A software configuration audit complements the formal technical review of the process and product. It focuses on the technical correctness of the configuration object that has been modified. The audit confirms the completeness, correctness, and consistency of items in the SCM system and tracks action items from the audit to closure.
5. Reporting – Providing accurate status and current configuration data to developers, testers, end users, customers, and stakeholders through admin guides, user guides, FAQs, Release notes, Memos, Installation Guide, Configuration guides, etc.

Importance of Software Configuration Management

1. Effective Bug Tracking: Linking code modifications to issues that have been reported, makes bug tracking more effective.
2. Continuous Deployment and Integration: SCM combines with continuous processes to automate deployment and testing, resulting in more dependable and timely software delivery.
3. Risk management: SCM lowers the chance of introducing critical flaws by assisting in the early detection and correction of problems.
4. Support for Big Projects: Source Code Control (SCM) offers an orderly method to handle code modifications for big projects, fostering a well-organized development process.
5. Reproducibility: By recording precise versions of code, libraries, and dependencies, source code versioning (SCM) makes builds repeatable.
6. Parallel Development: SCM facilitates parallel development by enabling several developers to collaborate on various branches at once.