Action Research: Configuration complexity in software systems - Evaluating script automation as a tool for lowering configuration time and complexity when configuring network settings.

Abstract

Previous research has shown methods and tools used for software configuration within many organisations to be unnecessarily time consuming, prone to errors, and complex. Research also shows that the complexity of tools used have a negative effect on the adoption of said tool within an organisation. This thesis investigated the effect of partially automated software configuration using scripting has on the complexity and configuration time of a system. The context of this thesis was a medium-sized software company, focusing on the configuration of their Software-as a-Service network service. The research was performed using the action research methodology, to construct a tool, partially automating the configuration of software devices. The created tool was evaluated on the difference in time, compared to the current solution, as well as the change in complexity. All the observed subjects needed slightly more, to moderately more time to complete a configuration using the created tool. The subjects also perceived the configuration process as less complex with the created tool. The actual complexity of using the created tool was also observed to be lower. The results from this study shows how the complexity of a configuration can be improved by automation, even in cases where it is not possible to fully automate the task.