ASEP Configuration Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a Configuration Item (CI) identification process?
- To assign costs to system components
- To select and uniquely identify items that need configuration control (Correct answer)
- To create the project schedule
- To define test cases for each component
Correct answer: To select and uniquely identify items that need configuration control
CI identification selects which items require formal configuration control and assigns unique identifiers to each, enabling traceability throughout the lifecycle.
Configuration Item identification is the foundational activity of configuration management where engineers select the system elements that require individual configuration control and assign them unique identifiers. Selection criteria include criticality, complexity, interface sensitivity, and maintenance requirements. Each CI receives a unique identifier that enables tracking through all lifecycle phases. Without proper CI identification, configuration management cannot effectively control changes, maintain baselines, or ensure traceability between requirements, design, and verification artifacts.
Question 2: Which activity in configuration management ensures that the installed system matches the approved technical documentation?
- Configuration identification
- Configuration control
- Configuration status accounting
- Configuration verification and audit (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Configuration verification and audit
Configuration verification and audit confirms that the as-built system conforms to its approved configuration documentation and baselines.
Configuration verification and audit (also called configuration audit) is the CM activity that examines the as-built product against its approved configuration documentation to verify conformance. There are two types: Functional Configuration Audit (FCA), which verifies the item meets its functional and performance requirements, and Physical Configuration Audit (PCA), which verifies the as-built product matches its detailed design documentation. These audits are typically conducted before formal baseline transitions, such as moving from development to production.
Question 3: What does a Configuration Control Board (CCB) primarily evaluate when reviewing a proposed change?
- Only the cost of implementing the change
- The technical, cost, schedule, and risk impacts of the proposed change (Correct answer)
- Only whether the change improves performance
- The personal preferences of the project manager
Correct answer: The technical, cost, schedule, and risk impacts of the proposed change
A CCB evaluates proposed changes across multiple dimensions including technical merit, cost impact, schedule impact, and associated risks before approving or rejecting them.
A Configuration Control Board (CCB) is a formally constituted group responsible for evaluating and dispositioning proposed changes to baselined configuration items. The CCB considers multiple impact dimensions: technical feasibility, performance effects, cost implications, schedule consequences, risk factors, and impacts on other configuration items and interfaces. The CCB may approve, reject, defer, or request additional analysis for any proposed change. This multi-dimensional evaluation ensures that changes are beneficial overall and that their full system-wide impacts are understood before implementation.
Question 4: Which baseline is established after successful completion of the System Design Review (SDR)?
- Functional baseline
- Allocated baseline (Correct answer)
- Product baseline
- Developmental baseline
Correct answer: Allocated baseline
The allocated baseline is established after SDR, documenting the approved functional and interface requirements allocated to each configuration item.
The allocated baseline is established after the System Design Review and captures the approved requirements allocated to each lower-level configuration item. The progression of baselines follows the lifecycle: the functional baseline (established at System Requirements Review) captures top-level performance requirements, the allocated baseline (established at SDR) captures requirements allocated to subsystems and components, and the product baseline (established after testing) captures the detailed design documentation for the as-built system. Each baseline builds upon the previous one and is subject to formal configuration control.
Question 5: What is the purpose of Configuration Status Accounting (CSA)?
- To approve or reject engineering change proposals
- To record and report the status of configuration items and their changes throughout the lifecycle (Correct answer)
- To conduct physical inspections of hardware
- To define initial system requirements
Correct answer: To record and report the status of configuration items and their changes throughout the lifecycle
CSA maintains a continuous record of the configuration status of all CIs, including their current approved configuration, pending changes, and change history.
Configuration Status Accounting is the configuration management activity responsible for recording and reporting information needed to manage configuration items effectively. CSA tracks the current approved configuration of each CI, all proposed and approved changes, the implementation status of approved changes, and the complete change history. This information supports decision-making by the CCB, provides traceability for audits, and ensures all stakeholders have accurate information about the current and historical configuration of system elements. CSA is often supported by CM databases and tools.
Question 6: Why is it important to establish configuration baselines at key lifecycle milestones?
- To reduce the number of engineers needed on the project
- To provide approved reference points for controlling subsequent changes and measuring progress (Correct answer)
- To eliminate the need for testing
- To satisfy contractual obligations only
Correct answer: To provide approved reference points for controlling subsequent changes and measuring progress
Baselines provide approved reference points that anchor the configuration at key milestones, enabling disciplined change control and progress measurement.
Configuration baselines serve as formally approved reference points at key lifecycle milestones. They are essential because they provide a known, agreed-upon starting point for evaluating and controlling subsequent changes. Without baselines, there is no authoritative reference to determine what has changed, whether changes are beneficial, or whether the system still meets its requirements. Baselines also enable regression analysis, support concurrent engineering by giving all teams a common reference, and provide the foundation for configuration audits that verify the product matches its documentation.
ASEP Configuration Management 2
What is the primary purpose of a Configuration Item (CI) identification process?