History of software configuration management


The history of software configuration management in computing can be traced back as early as the 1950s, when CM, originally for hardware development and production control, was being applied to software development. The first software configuration management was most likely done manually. Eventually, software tools were written to manage software changes. History records tend to be based on tools and companies, and lend concepts to a secondary plane.

Timeline

Until the 1980s, SCM could only be understood as CM applied to software development. Some basic concepts such as identification and baseline were already clear, but what was at stake was a set of techniques oriented towards the control of the activity, and using formal processes, documents, request forms, control boards etc.
It is only after this date that the use of software tools applying directly to software artefacts representing the actual resources, has allowed SCM to grow as an autonomous entity.
The use of different tools has actually led to very distinct emphases.