Build and Release Management: Supporting development of accelerator control software at CERN

Abstract

Software configuration management deals with control of the evolution of complex computer systems. The ability to handle changes, corrections and extensions is decisive for the outcome of a software project. Automated processes for handling these elements are therefore a crucial part of software development. This thesis focuses on build and release management, in the context of developing a control system for the world s biggest particle accelerator. Build and release cover topics such as build support, versioning, dependency management and release management. The main part of the work has consisted of extending an in-house solution supporting the development process of accelerator control software at CERN. The main focus of this report is on the practical work done in this context. Based on a literature survey and examining of available tools, this thesis presents the state of the art concerning build and release management before elaborating on the practical work. Based on the experience gained from the work of this thesis, I conclude with a discussion of whether or not it is beneficiary to stick with in-house solution, or if switching to an external tool could prove better for the development process implemented.