This book uses a real-world case-study project to teach you how to manage software configuration efficiently using Visual SourceSafe 2005, Microsoft's Software Configuration Management (SCM) solution for independent developers and for developers working in small- and medium-sized teams. It also provides a best-practices reference on using SourceSafe 2005 to manage the software development lifecycle. Why is Software Configuration Management important? Software Configuration Management (SCM) is the discipline of managing the building and modification of software through techniques including source-code control, revision control, object-build tracking, and release construction. SCM involves identifying the configuration of the software at given points in time, systematically controlling changes to the configuration, and maintaining the integrity and traceability of the configuration throughout the software development lifecycle. Software Configuration Management is one of the first skills a serious developer should master, after becoming proficient with his or her development tools of choice. Unfortunately, this does not always happen because the subject of SCM is not commonly taught in either academic or company training. When developing software, you need to have a manageable team development effort, track and maintain the history of your projects, sustain parallel development on multiple product versions, fix bugs, and release service packs while further developing the application. This is where the concepts of Software Configuration Management come into play; SCM is about getting the job done safer, faster, and better. Visual SourceSafe has a long history behind it. The previous versions were either loved for their ease of use and integration with other Microsoft products, or hated because the headaches caused by using them improperly. This book will help you to avoid such problems. After introducing the fundamental principles of SCM and the benefits of using SCM to manage the software development lifecycle this book uses a real-world case-study project to build a Service-Oriented Application named Orbital Hotel. You will learn the team cooperation features in Visual SourceSafe with the help of John and Mary, two fictional team members assigned to implement various project components. You can visit Orbital Hotel online and you can download its source code. The appendices deal with SourceSafe administration tasks: database creation and management, how to secure the database and how to assign users and user rights, how to manage projects and project settings, and how to customize SourceSafe to best suit your development style. This book is for .NET developers, testers and configuration managers who: . Use Visual Studio .NET 2005 for building software . Want to use software configuration to manage their products in day-to-day activities . Want to improve their efficiency by learning to use the best practices with SourceSafe . Want to install, manage, and configure Visual SourceSafe 2005 for optimal operation The book does not assume previous knowledge of Software Configuration Management or Visual SourceSafe. It takes the reader from the ground up and is a great resource for people starting to learn about this subject. Readers with previous SourceSafe experience will benefit by discovering the improved and new features in Visual SourceSafe 2005. TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY 1 Controlling the Evolution of Software Products 2 The SourceSafe 2005 Architecture 3 Creating a Service-Oriented Application 4 Adding Solutions to the SourceSafe Database 5 Developing Solutions under Source Control 6 Working from Remote Locations 7 Managing the Software Development Lifecycle A Installing Visual SourceSafe 2005 B Creating and Configuring SourceSafe Databases C Database Maintenance