Functional Configuration Audit



The functional configuration audit is the testing component of a larger system of configuration management. Military systems development managers need to insure that engineered systems meet design requirements according to specifications, and they perform software and hardware functional configuration in order to do so. The software configuration, or software FCA for short, involves a review and evaluation of the software test results to insure that they meet the design requirements of the client. Hardware functional configuration, termed hardware FCA for short, reviews test methodologies and the results of integrated hardware/software systems testing to insure that performance specifications are met. Following software and hardware FCA, a physical configuration audit, or PCA, is performed. The government integrated logistics support managers will direct this activity. Performance suitability will be verified, and support documents must be validated.



Among the steps in engineering a new product, a critical design review is an important early step toward insuring that the design matches the intended functionality. Engineers will review design proposals for completing the work, comparing benefits and trade offs before selecting a final design. As work progresses, periodic reviews will insure that development stays on course for meeting the requirements and timetable for completion.

However, there are many things that can go wrong in designing a complex military system. It is essential that software and hardware subsystems be tested not only at the unit (individual component) level, but that they are tested as an integrated system. Sometimes when a contractor merges subcomponents furnished by subcontractors into a larger system, unforeseen dependencies arise. Although software modules might meet test specifications according to requirements documents during the test phase, when they are individual modules are integrated with hardware, interactions between simple systems can result in unexpected behavior. Unexpected events may trigger military software code that was never tested. As a system grows in complexity the amount of required testing grows exponentially. Therefore, it is virtually impossible to test every combination of events that can occur in a complex system. Documentation of all testing must be performed to allow engineers to go back and see what was and what was not tested.

When the project manager performs the FCA, levels of quality, reliability, and maintainability are raised. The contractor might manage testing personnel consisting of subcontractors, suppliers, and vendors. By properly following a configuration management design model, military requirements documents are put in place early in the design cycle to insure that functional specifications are met.

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