5.4 Configuration Management

Question 1

What is configuration management in the context of testing?

Answer 1

Config Management is the discipline or identifying, controlling, and tracking work products such as test plans, test strategies, test conditions, test cases, test scripts, test results, test logs, and test reports as configuration items.

For complex config items such as test environments, CM records the items it consists of, their relationships, and their versions.

Question 2

If a configuration item is approved for testing, it becomes a baseline. What process must it then go through to be altered?

Answer 2

A formal change control process?

Question 3

Why does Configuration Management keep a record of changed configuration items when a new baseline is created?

Answer 3

So that we can revert to the previous baseline to reproduce prior test results.

Question 4

To properly support testing, what two things must Configuration Management ensure?

Answer 4

1. Maintain traceability throughout the test process: All config items, including test items, are uniquely identified, version controlled, tracked for change, and related to other config items so that traceability is maintained.
2. Unambiguous references: All identified documentation and software items must be clearly and uniquely referenced in test documentation.

Question 5

Continuous integration, continuous delivery, continuous deployment, and associated testing are typically implemented as part of what?

Answer 5

An automated DevOps pipeline, in which automated Configuration Management is normally included.