Features
  • Integrates with Xponent Development.

  • Logs all changes made, by whom, when, and why.

  • Tracks objects, dictionary elements, and messages.

  • Compares object versions to see what is different.

  • Manages each product and customer version as a configuration to maintain integrity.

  • Copies and generates new configurations.

  • Tracks requests for application changes.

  • Organizes requests by customer, by category, by priority, by date, and by status.

  • Tracks the progress of requests, and associates related requests and comebacks.

  • Reports requests and changes to end-users and internally.

  • Generates deployment packages for new product installations, product upgrades, and patches.

  • Allows deployment packages to include code, databases, scripts, readme documents, and more.


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    Source Code Control
    Xponent Configuration Management tracks all changes that developers make to objects, data dictionary elements, and messages, and maintains design history for every design element.

    Developers can checkin and checkout objects one at a time, in a list associated with a group of requests, or in a predefined object group. Since the configuration management application is completely integrated with Xponent, developers find checkin and checkout easy to use and a source of information rather than an administrative burden.

    Configuration Management
    Each distinct product or customer version is maintained as a configuration. In this way, developers and support managers always know exactly what version of a design element is at each site. When a modification is necessary, support managers know exactly which objects and which revisions are required.

    Developers work in one configuration at a time, but have visibility of object design versions and history over all configurations. Configurations are changed through an organized revision process.

    Request Tracking
    Xponent Configuration Management tracks requests for software change. Requests may be bug reports, enhancement requests, or specifications for the next phase of product development. Requests are assigned priorities and categories to assist in their tracking.

    Configuration Management tracks requests through their entire life cycle. After the initial request, there may be events for verification, communication with the requestor, and assignment to a programmer along with assignment notes.

    When the programmer has completed the work, there may be additional events for testing, incorporation into a patch, deployment, and integration with other configurations. The request may be assigned a relation to other requests, or may be designated as a comeback.

    Request tracking also follows the progress of the request at the end-users' site, tracking such events as installation, testing, confirmation, and closure.

    Packaging
    Configuration Management organizes software changes into deliverable, deployable packages. A package can reference requests grouped as patches. You can package software at several different levels:

  • Patch
  • Product Update
  • Full Product Release


    • Flexibility in specifying package contents:

  • Objects in design or runtime versions
  • Code-source code, object code, encrypted code
  • Databases and scripts
  • Documents for installation, review, and testing
  • Dumps of data or environment information


    • Analysis and Reporting
    Xponent Configuration Management provides several different kinds of analytical tools.

  • Track statistics on requests, including programmer productivity and bug closure rate over time.
  • Analyze referential integrity for a patch installation to be sure that all required elements are present.
  • Perform impact analysis to determine the scope of change in a configuration.
  • Compare configurations to determine which configurations are candidates for modification.
  • Produce various reports for configrations and requests.


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