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Hello everyone, and welcome to the first issue of CM Basics. The CM Basics newsletter and forum will act as vehicles to provide you with timely and interesting discussions about various Configuration Management topics which are key to the success of all our development projects. This newsletter has been developed based on the input of the members of the CM Crossroads community and formatted to complement the CM Crossroads Journal with short threaded discussions on less complex topics. You are encouraged to participate in these discussions in a dedicated forum at CM Crossroads. Whether you are a relative “newbie” or a seasoned veteran, CM basics will be the place to “Ask the Experts” about basic CM issues. Before we get started, let me tell you a little about me. I hope to learn more about you too as we go along. I came to CM almost accidentally - as a new assignment on my plate in 1983. Before that time, I was working in treaty compliance, in the missile defense arena. The area I was assigned to was known as Systems Analysis, but I learned over time that Compliance Analysis was really a better term for what I did. CM is compliance analysis, too, if you think about it. There are requirements, and there are goals, and the pathway between the two involves lots of measurement and gap analysis. As time went by, I grew much more interested in configuration management and data management than I did treaty compliance - so I began to work in those areas almost exclusively. What I learned was that no one that did CM or DM had any formal background or training in either of them, and that they were learned skills while on the job. Some military documents and standards existed to define and outline them, and to tell how they were to be measured or applied -- but nobody had a degree in CM or DM. Despite their undocumented fundamentals in many areas, CM and DM are intuitively obvious needs and practices. Over time, I developed a rich appreciation for both of them, and I relied on them to define and manage the projects that I worked to support. What I learned was that there was never a time when good CM and DM were not valuable tools for the project, and a validation of actions undertaken and completed. They have framed the cornerstone of my career, despite the endeavor I am working on at the time. And that they are fundamental precepts of the world order, enabling those of us from all over the planet to communicate with each other, and establish a starting point from which to move forward. So, here we are -- discussing CM Basics. What a great opportunity to clear the air and do some excellent technical exchange! Let's start with something a little provocative and interesting - please address the following aspects and questions in your replies:
In the coming weeks and months, we'll take up more topics and create some conversation along the way. If you have suggestions about prospective topics, please don't hesitate to let me know - email me at chauer@cmcrossroads.com Cynthia C. Hauer is the Chief Executive Officer of Millennium Data Management, in Huntsville, Alabama. She has 21 years of experience in Information Technology which includes extensive involvement in CM, DM, data base design, user interface, data storage, CALS and all facets of system design and implementation. Ms Hauer holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and is certified as CMIIC and CCDM, certifications in both ICM/CMII and NDIA, respectively. Cynthia is an occasional contributing editor for the CM Journal and writes a regular "rant" for the CM Basics newsletter. You can reach Ms. Hauer by email at chauer@cmcrossroads.com.
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| Last Updated on Tuesday, 24 January 2006 03:21 |
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