Configuration Management and Failure Analysis
1. Introduction
When a failure is reported in production, one of the most important goals for a testing and development team is to reproduce the problem.
To do this reliably, the team must know exactly which version of the software and which related files were used.
운영 환경에서 결함이 보고되었을 때, 팀이 가장 먼저 해야 할 일 중 하나는 문제를 재현하는 것입니다.
이를 위해서는 해당 시점의 소프트웨어 버전과 구성 항목을 정확히 복원할 수 있어야 합니다.
2. Practice Question
❓ Question
The user reported a software failure.
A support engineer asked for the software version number where the failure was observed.
Based on this version number, the team:
- Reassembled all files that made up the release
- Allowed a developer to analyze the problem
- Found the defect and fixed it
Which of the following enabled this activity to be performed?
- a) Risk management
- b) Test monitoring and control
- c) Whole team approach
- d) Configuration management
✅ Correct Answer: d)
3. Explanation
✔ d) Configuration management — Correct
Configuration management provides a disciplined approach to:
- Identifying configuration items (code, documents, data, environments)
- Controlling changes to those items
- Tracking versions and baselines
Because the team knew the exact version number, they could:
- Reconstruct the exact release
- Reproduce the failure
- Analyze and fix the defect
This is a classic example of configuration management in action.
형상 관리(Configuration management)는 소스 코드, 설정 파일, 문서 등의 형상 항목을 식별·추적·통제합니다.
버전 정보를 통해 과거 기준선(baseline)을 복원할 수 있었기 때문에, 결함 분석과 수정이 가능했습니다.
Why the other options are incorrect
❌ a) Risk management — Incorrect
Risk management focuses on:
- Identifying risks
- Analyzing risks
- Controlling risks
It does not deal with software versions or configuration items.
리스크 관리는 위험을 분석·통제하는 활동으로, 형상 항목 복원과는 관련이 없습니다.
❌ b) Test monitoring and control — Incorrect
Test monitoring and control deal with:
- Tracking test progress
- Comparing actual progress with plans
- Taking corrective actions in testing
These activities do not manage or restore software versions.
테스트 모니터링과 제어는 테스트 진행 상황 관리에 초점이 있으며, 버전 관리와는 무관합니다.
❌ c) Whole team approach — Incorrect
The whole team approach focuses on:
- Collaboration
- Shared responsibility for quality
It does not provide mechanisms for managing configuration items.
전체 팀 접근 방식은 협업 문화에 대한 개념이지, 형상 관리를 제공하지는 않습니다.
4. Summary Table
| Option | Main Focus | Enables Release Reconstruction? | 요약 |
|---|---|---|---|
| a) Risk management | Risk analysis & control | ✖ No | 리스크 중심 |
| b) Test monitoring & control | Test progress | ✖ No | 진행 관리 |
| c) Whole team approach | Collaboration | ✖ No | 협업 문화 |
| d) Configuration management | Version & baseline control | ✔ Yes | 정답 |
5. Final Takeaway
For the ISTQB exam, remember:
Configuration management makes it possible to reconstruct previous software releases, reproduce failures, and analyze defects based on exact versions.
시험 대비 핵심 문장입니다.
형상 관리는 과거 소프트웨어 버전을 복원하여 결함 재현과 분석을 가능하게 한다.
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