Your professional advice required pls.

[Fliiber Gibbet]

I've recently been tasked with the grand role of 'application
configuration manager'.

It's vague as to what this role will entail, but I know the following:

We have purchased a web-based application, incorporating database,
application layer, and a presentation layer. We are going to extend
this application, configure and customise it. Most of the work
initially will be occurring in the presentation layer.

We have also purchased 5 servers (physical computers) 2 of which are
going to be complete environments for DEV and UAT, and the last three
will be 2x Presentation Layers and 1x Application/Database layer.

I've now been asked to recommend a version control tool and all the
related processes around configuration management (inclusive of software
configuration management, build management and deployment, and change
management) and am really worried I'll take a wrong turn.

I've been allocated a couple of developers who really don't have any
experience of SCM, or even change management - and are just used to
hacking Web pages together and FTP'ing them up on to a server for test,
then doing the same into production.

Where the heck do I start?

My boss wants all this up and ready in a week or two. Tool-wise I don't
like what I've read about SourceSafe, CVS sounds good - but hard work
for developers who keep arguing with me over why we need SCM in the
first place - and Subversion seems great, but still very new (not even
1.0 yet). We have next to no budget, and I've read up a little on SCM,
and think I've got a grip on the basics. Although I've still got a gap
in my head between version management of source files and
build/deployment of the application to the various environments.

I can't really afford to buy lots of books myself, so wondered if anyone
could offer any practical advice, or links to other resources that will
provide concise guidance?

Yeah - I know we should have someone who knows this stuff inside out,
and that was the plan - but the budget got pulled.

What I don't want to do is implement a tool or system and not be able to
use it correctly...

All responses welcomed.

FG

[Fliiber Gibbet]

Oh, BBTW - eventually there will be a group of developers deploying the
same application on linux, and we will be using slow WAN links, so speed
is quite important. Atomic updates would be good too.

Fliiber Gibbet wrote: Oh, BTW - the all the environments are Win 2K (professional for developers and server for servers). Fliiber Gibbet wrote: I've recently been tasked with the grand role of 'application configuration manager'. It's vague as to what this role will entail, but I know the following: We have purchased a web-based application, incorporating database, application layer, and a presentation layer. We are going to extend this application, configure and customise it. Most of the work initially will be occurring in the presentation layer. We have also purchased 5 servers (physical computers) 2 of which are going to be complete environments for DEV and UAT, and the last three will be 2x Presentation Layers and 1x Application/Database layer. I've now been asked to recommend a version control tool and all the related processes around configuration management (inclusive of software configuration management, build management and deployment, and change management) and am really worried I'll take a wrong turn. I've been allocated a couple of developers who really don't have any experience of SCM, or even change management - and are just used to hacking Web pages together and FTP'ing them up on to a server for test, then doing the same into production. Where the heck do I start? My boss wants all this up and ready in a week or two. Tool-wise I don't like what I've read about SourceSafe, CVS sounds good - but hard work for developers who keep arguing with me over why we need SCM in the first place - and Subversion seems great, but still very new (not even 1.0 yet). We have next to no budget, and I've read up a little on SCM, and think I've got a grip on the basics. Although I've still got a gap in my head between version management of source files and build/deployment of the application to the various environments. I can't really afford to buy lots of books myself, so wondered if anyone could offer any practical advice, or links to other resources that will provide concise guidance? Yeah - I know we should have someone who knows this stuff inside out, and that was the plan - but the budget got pulled. What I don't want to do is implement a tool or system and not be able to use it correctly... All responses welcomed. FG

[Jamie Plessas]

If this was my situation, the first thing I would do is to sit down an plan
out how you system will work. I wouldn't worry to much about the SCM tool
but more about the processes around them. Figure out how you are going to go
from dev to QA to production. There are steps here that seem obvious, but
people love to argue about or do there own thing. Get this done first and
documented and it will save you a lot of headaches later.

As for free SCM's, you really can't go wrong with CVS. It is well documented
and widely used. It also has allot of good GUI's (WinCVS for one, here is a
quickstart guide for it http://www.devguy.com/fp/cfgmgmt/cvs/startup/ ) for
your dev guys so they don't have to deal with them. Plus it has been out
long enough that any problem you run into, some has had it before and got
help. Searching with Google will almost always get you the answer.

The only other thing I can tell you is plan things out, if you do it adhoc,
you will get into trouble. Good Luck

"Fliiber Gibbet" <no.way@pal.comeon> wrote in message
news:InoKa.652$MO2.37@newsfep4-winn.server.ntli.net... Oh, BBTW - eventually there will be a group of developers deploying the same application on linux, and we will be using slow WAN links, so speed is quite important. Atomic updates would be good too. Fliiber Gibbet wrote: Oh, BTW - the all the environments are Win 2K (professional for developers and server for servers). Fliiber Gibbet wrote: I've recently been tasked with the grand role of 'application configuration manager'. It's vague as to what this role will entail, but I know the following: We have purchased a web-based application, incorporating database, application layer, and a presentation layer. We are going to extend this application, configure and customise it. Most of the work initially will be occurring in the presentation layer. We have also purchased 5 servers (physical computers) 2 of which are going to be complete environments for DEV and UAT, and the last three will be 2x Presentation Layers and 1x Application/Database layer. I've now been asked to recommend a version control tool and all the related processes around configuration management (inclusive of software configuration management, build management and deployment, and change management) and am really worried I'll take a wrong turn. I've been allocated a couple of developers who really don't have any experience of SCM, or even change management - and are just used to hacking Web pages together and FTP'ing them up on to a server for test, then doing the same into production. Where the heck do I start? My boss wants all this up and ready in a week or two. Tool-wise I don't like what I've read about SourceSafe, CVS sounds good - but hard work for developers who keep arguing with me over why we need SCM in the first place - and Subversion seems great, but still very new (not even 1.0 yet). We have next to no budget, and I've read up a little on SCM, and think I've got a grip on the basics. Although I've still got a gap in my head between version management of source files and build/deployment of the application to the various environments. I can't really afford to buy lots of books myself, so wondered if anyone could offer any practical advice, or links to other resources that will provide concise guidance? Yeah - I know we should have someone who knows this stuff inside out, and that was the plan - but the budget got pulled. What I don't want to do is implement a tool or system and not be able to use it correctly... All responses welcomed. FG