2 Software Management

Code development teams should clearly identify team leads and other key contact persons. The goal is to establish unambiguous responsibilities and lines of communication with respect to orchestrating the development of the coupled model.

2.1 Software Management Positions at NCAR

The assembly and validation of the evolving coupled CCSM is coordinated by a core group of developers at NCAR, the CCSM Software Engineering Group (CSEG). This team has identified a number of key management roles, which are described below. The individuals who currently fill these roles are identified in Appendix DevA.

CSEG Manager

The CSEG manager orchestrates the development of the coupled model. Responsibilities include:

• assembling and tagging working versions of the CCSM modeling system;
• prioritizing and coordinating work on components;
• integrating software developed by the various software development teams;
• working with the component model liaisons to decide when new versions should be produced.

CSEG Quality Assurance Lead

The CSEG quality assurance lead system tests new versions of the CCSM system. Responsibilities include deciding the extent of testing needed, facilitating the development of test scripts, and coordinating the actual testing.

CCSM Component Liaisons

The CCSM component liaisons monitor development of CCSM components. Their responsibilities include:

• serving as the point-of-contact between the CSEG manager and the component's working group and/or code development team;
• determining, based on consultation with scientists and other developers, when changes are important enough to warrant a new version;
• recommending to the CSEG manager that a new CCSM version be created;
• maintaining the setup scripts for their component;
• ensuring that a component continues to work in the coupled framework;
• ensuring that work required for compatibility with the fully coupled system is performed.