FIGURE A

Here's an example of branching in a software development project. Click picture for a larger image.

Basic concepts of SCM version control
Version control systems track various versions of a set of files and store the various versions of files in a database. During the versioning process, developers interact with each other in different ways.

There is a general sequence of events (operations) that takes place when using version control systems. Table A illustrates this.

SCM Audit and Report Process
The SCM audit and report process involves completing a series of steps to provide repeatable SCM processes and application baseline integrity. There are generally five steps to the SCM audit and report process performed by the Project Manager, SCM Manager, Audit Team, and Recorder.

Step 1: Determine what to audit and when to perform the audit
The Project Manager or SCM Manager begins the audit and report process by considering audit questions, using checklists for consistency, and determining a specific audit date. When all of this is done, you will have provided a set of audit questions and scheduled your audit.

Step 2: Select the Audit Team
The Project Manager or SCM Manager has the additional responsibilities of selecting an SCM Engineer, Developer, and Recorder for the audit. Here, you will also assign roles to each member (who will audit what).

Step 3: Prepare for the audit
The Audit Team must schedule meetings prior to the audit with the Project Manager and Application Owner.

Step 4: Perform the audit
The Audit Team also has the task of actually performing the audit. During this phase, the Audit Team discusses audit questions with project personnel and documents the results. The Team completes the audit by determining whether areas pass or fail, and recommends action if needed.

Step 5: Report results
The Recorder documents status including what's been done well, and identifies areas needing improvement, indicating recommended actions. The Recorder then reports the results to the Project Manager, SCM Manager, and Application Owner. Next, the Recorder opens Problem Reports for Audit Improvement and tracks them until closed. The final task is to place a copy of the audit results into the application repository, which produces the SCM Audit Report with Opportunities for Improvement.

Conclusion
There are many practical reasons to use SCM version control. Even small projects requiring only one developer should use version control. By using SCM version control, developers can prevent the risk of damaging each other's work, leading to version confusion. Version control is essential for software development and is extremely useful for managing Web sites and other documentation that must be controlled and archived.

There's more to come about SCM. Stay tuned for an overview and comparison of enterprise SCM tools.

Mick Moignard has been working and traveling with Lotus Notes since Release 2.0 in 1991. Mick is a DominoPower Senior Technical Editor and a Principal CLP with Unipart Expert Practices, a Lotus Advanced Partner in the UK. If you want to discuss anything to do with this article, or indeed anything else to do with Notes and Domino, contact Mick at Mick_Moignard@unipart.co.uk. Unipart Expert Practices will also happily discuss any opportunities you may have with any Notes and Domino application development or infrastructure projects you need help with. Unipart Expert Practices can be found at http://www.unipartep.com.