ASEP - Associate Systems Engineering Professional Configuration Management Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An engineering team has just completed the critical design review (CDR) for a new radar system. The design documentation, including all specifications and drawings, is officially approved and placed under formal control. What is this set of approved documentation called in configuration management?
- A change request
- A configuration item
- A baseline (Correct answer)
- A technical data package
Correct answer: A baseline
A baseline is a formally approved version of a configuration item or set of documents that serves as a fixed reference point for future development and can only be changed through formal change control procedures. The completion of a major review like CDR is a typical point at which a design or allocated baseline is established.
Question 2: A developer on a large project team proposes a significant change to a software module that has already been baselined. According to standard configuration management practice, what is the primary role of the Configuration Control Board (CCB)?
- To personally implement the approved change into the software code.
- To analyze the technical, cost, and schedule impacts of the proposed change and decide whether to approve or disapprove it. (Correct answer)
- To identify the initial configuration items at the start of the project.
- To conduct the configuration audit to ensure the change was implemented correctly.
Correct answer: To analyze the technical, cost, and schedule impacts of the proposed change and decide whether to approve or disapprove it.
The Configuration Control Board (CCB) is a decision-making body that evaluates the impact of proposed changes from multiple perspectives (technical, budget, schedule) to determine if the change should be authorized. It does not implement the change itself; that is typically the role of the development team after approval.
Question 3: A project manager needs a detailed report listing all approved changes to the system's requirements baseline over the past six months, including the implementation status of each change. Which configuration management process is responsible for providing this information?
- Configuration Control
- Configuration Identification
- Configuration Audit
- Configuration Status Accounting (CSA) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Configuration Status Accounting (CSA)
Configuration Status Accounting is the recording and reporting of information needed to manage configuration effectively. This includes the status of proposed changes, the implementation status of approved changes, and the configuration of all baselined items.
Question 4: Which of the following is the primary purpose of the Configuration Identification process in systems engineering?
- To track and report the status of all proposed and approved changes.
- To select, name, and document the functional and physical characteristics of the system's components that will be managed. (Correct answer)
- To manage and control changes to the system's design throughout its lifecycle.
- To formally verify that the system meets its specified requirements through testing.
Correct answer: To select, name, and document the functional and physical characteristics of the system's components that will be managed.
Configuration Identification is the foundational CM activity. It involves determining the structure of the system, selecting the components that need to be managed (Configuration Items or CIs), assigning unique identifiers, and documenting their key characteristics in baselines.
Question 5: Before a complex system is formally delivered, a review is conducted to ensure that the final physical product conforms to its approved design documentation (i.e., the "as-built" matches the "as-designed"). What is this type of review called?
- Physical Configuration Audit (PCA) (Correct answer)
- Functional Configuration Audit (FCA)
- System Verification Review (SVR)
- Production Readiness Review (PRR)
Correct answer: Physical Configuration Audit (PCA)
A Physical Configuration Audit (PCA) is a formal examination to verify that a configuration item, as built, conforms to the technical documentation that defines it. This is distinct from a Functional Configuration Audit (FCA), which verifies that the item's performance meets its specified requirements.
Question 6: Which of the following activities is the primary focus of the Configuration Control process?
- Identifying the specific documents and components that will be managed as configuration items.
- Systematically evaluating, coordinating, and approving or disapproving proposed changes to baselined items. (Correct answer)
- Verifying that the delivered product physically matches its configuration documentation.
- Recording and reporting the status of configuration items and change requests to stakeholders.
Correct answer: Systematically evaluating, coordinating, and approving or disapproving proposed changes to baselined items.
Configuration Control is the process of managing changes once a baseline has been established. It involves a formal process, often using a Configuration Control Board (CCB), to ensure that any proposed change is properly evaluated for its impact before being approved or rejected.
ASEP - Associate Systems Engineering Professional Configuration Management Questions and Answers 1
An engineering team has just completed the critical design review (CDR) for a new radar system.
The design documentation, including all specifications and drawings, is officially approved and placed under formal control.
What is this set of approved documentation called in configuration management?