alm

What Is the Definition of Application Lifecycle Management (ALM)?

Joe Townsend attempts to find a proper definition of application lifecycle management (ALM) in order to bring some clarity to the field. He lists some of ALM's component parts, including requirements management, project management, and change management.

Joe Townsend's picture
Joe Townsend
Agile Development Tool Roundup

One of the basic tenets of agile is to favor “individuals and interactions over processes and tools,” as stated in the Agile Manifesto. This, however, has not stopped the onslaught of vendors claiming that their tools are perfect for the different aspects of agile development.

Joe Townsend's picture
Joe Townsend
Why Is the Configuration Management Database Both Praised and Reviled?

For the novice the configuration management database (CMDB) can be a daunting task when considered in its entirety. To the seasoned pro and others, however, it might be viewed as a complete waste of resources. Joe Townsend looks at why the CMDB is praised—and yet reviled at the same time.

Joe Townsend's picture
Joe Townsend
Is Software Configuration Management Dead?

Joe Townsend explores whether software configuration management (SCM) is dead or simply morphing into something else. The world of SCM is very different from what it once was, and SCM professionals need to be aware of this rapidly changing field.

Joe Townsend's picture
Joe Townsend
What Is the Future of Configuration Management?

Joe Townsend takes a look at the future of configuration management by looking back—way back—to see what others have said about CM's future and to check whether their predictions are still relevant. It's interesting to note that the problems of the past will probably still plague us in the future.

Joe Townsend's picture
Joe Townsend
Creating a New Configuration Management Infrastructure

CM is a lot like the space industry. But instead of Atlas, Delta, and whatever else is used to launch spacecraft, we have ClearCase, Perforce, and many other tools. Joe Farah explains that in order to advance CM, we need to know how to create a new CM infrastructure that goes beyond these tools.

Joe Farah's picture
Joe Farah
The Differing Points of View about CM

Although we have entered a new year, the arguments over the role of configuration management (CM) in organizations have not abated and have now morphed into a product CM versus enterprise CM dilemma. Joe Townsend explains the differing points of view and why we should care.

Joe Townsend's picture
Joe Townsend
Software CM: Thirty-Five Years Later

Thirty-five years later and where are we in regards to software configuration management? Joe Farah takes us back to the late 1970s and compares the past with the present. If you look at a typical shop today, progress has actually gone backwards.

Joe Farah's picture
Joe Farah