Integrating Configuration Management and Software Deployment

As the development and use of component-based software becomes increasingly pervasive, the need arises for tools that support the controlled evolution of independently developed components—both at development and at deployment time. Traditionally, such tools have been separate: configuration management tools are used during the development of a software product and deployment tools are used to install, update, and reconfigure a software product once it is out in the field. This position paper first presents an argument why this separation is inadequate for component-based software. Then, it presents a set of requirements for an integrated system that intimately combines configuration management and software deployment functionality to support the evolution of component-based software in a unified manner.