A joint research effort between Christian Pendleton (Eficode/Praqma AB) and Lars Bendix (sneSCM.org / Lund University).

The initiating problem that aroused our curiosity was that often it seems that DevOps and traditional software configuration management (SCM) is a mismatch. Like children and parents apparently they don't understand each other. As "die-hard" SCM people we know that all types of projects need configuration management. So how can we reconsile SCM and DevOps so they live together happily ever after?

Projects are not alike and there is no single "one size fits all" SCM that will work in all contexts and for all development methods. DevOps projects probably need SCM done in a different way and operationally by different (non-SCM) people - but how to do that seemed like an interesting question to pursue?
So the purpose of the project is to explore and investigate the following research questions:

• What are the relations between SCM and DevOps?
  • what things from traditional SCM are not needed in a DevOps context?
  • what new thing need to be added to the SCM toolbox?
  • how should "old principles" be cast in a DevOps context?
  • how could SCM sell itself to DevOps?
  • why should DevOps buy SCM?

Present activities:

• Preparing a presentation for Incontro DevOps Italia, March 18, 2022.

Past activities:

• White paper about Bringing Software Configuration Management and DevOps together, October, 2021.
• Presentation at Incontro DevOps Italia, October 21, 2020. (abstract, slides, video)
• Meetup at the DevOps group in Malmö, February 10 (slides).
• Supervised Master's thesis on SCM in a DevOps context.
• Presentation at DevOps Heroes in Parma, October 26 (slides).
• CMCM on "What SCM is useful and necessary on DevOps projects?" in Oslo, October 2 (slides).
• Meetup at the DevOps group in Copenhagen, August 22 (slides).
• Research seminar for Department of Informatics, Oslo University, June 18 (abstract, slides).
• Presentation at the Scandinavian SCM day in Copenhagen, May 23 (slides).
• Presentation at the BCS-CMSG conference in London, May 15 (slides).
• Presentation at the Italian SCM summit in Pavia, May 10 (slides).
• Meetup at the DevOps group in Malmö, April 8 (slides).
• Open Space at DevOps Days in Copenhagen, April 3-4.
• CMCM on "SCM and DevOps" in Rome, February 15.
• CMCM on "SCM and DevOps" in Malmö, February 5.

If you are interested in being a part of the project, send an email to bendix@cs.lth.se

Various resources related to SCM in the context of DevOps.

Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.
Winston Churchill