The issue

Any newly delivered software version--whether a complete application or a sub-group of components for a patch--automatically generates a number of different tasks that are essential to proper functioning of the overall Information System:

• Checking the integrity of delivered elements:
  It is imperative to be sure that the delivered batch is coherent (bug-free), and that it will not generate a regression in production.
• Integration:
  All new deliveries may require integration tasks. Any modification to a system’s program or files will require identification of impacted peripheral components, and a project plan to integrate the delivery into the rest of the system.
• Functional Tests:
  Once modifications have been made, the next step is to perform a minimum number of tests to validate that the changes have not generated functional regressions. These recurring tests are often neglected because they are costly and painstaking. However, they are essential to production security and reliability.
• Documentation:
  Often neglected, documentation is a vital way to guarantee the value of an Information System. Combined with rigorous organization and architecture, documentation is a way to meet the requirements of internal and external audits a bank for example may be required to perform. It is also a response to operational risk-related needs described in the Basel 2 regulations and other international standards.

The ARCAD Solution

Our vendor software management solution was designed to facilitate management and integration of new releases into the Information System. It is an umbrella solution composed of a series of ARCAD modules that provide tools and functions, meeting the different needs inherent to implementing modifications or patches.
The solution adapts to any software on the market, whether you have the source code or not.

What’s more, this solution can easily meet the requirements of internal or external auditors concerning regulatory legislation such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Basel 2 operational risk, etc., as well as for ISO or CMM quality certification.

This is a wide-ranging product that covers Information System security measures as well as reducing the costs inherent to managing the system.
To look at the big picture, the following factors are covered by our suite:

• Configuration and management of dedicated, secured environments
• Creation of a multi-platform component repository containing a all necessary information
• Modification management through versioned, archived, and restorable batches
• Automated, secured management of inter-environment transfers and transfers to production
• Automated checks of software deliveries and impact analyses on the rest of the Information System
• Delivery logging
• Automated regression tests for modifications
• Application mapping
• Automatic generation of production documentation.

The product also has an interface for JD Edwards (JDE).  ARCAD-Skipper can work with "Dream-Writer", UDC, VO and menus.  When these objects are modified, they are associated with a "version", and are managed with the application components (programs, files, ...) which have been modified in the same version.  They are therefore transferred to test or production in exactly the same way as the other components in the application. 

Conclusion

This solution, which was developed through our cooperation with different software vendors and clients, lets you approach any new delivery with complete peace of mind. It guarantees that elements transferred to production will not cause a global error, and that no component will be left out during the integration phase.

Of course, this system is seamlessly integrated into version management functions, since all modifications, compilations and other integration-related tasks are linked together.

The different dedicated/secured environments associated with automated test procedures guarantee the quality and reliability of the system in production.

Combining this solid architecture with automated documentation generation allows positive, simplified responses to requests from auditors and company management.

In addition to peace of mind, ARCAD’s solutions provide a significant time savings through automation of control tasks and impact analyses. Our tool is a reliable, secure product that provides increased productivity with decreased costs.