Patent ID: 7634757

Claim:
A method, executed by a processor, for enforcing a life cycle process in a source control system, comprising: providing a check-in function to check-in at least one object of a control strategy for a process control system to said source control system; providing a check-out function to check said object out of said source control system; receiving from a user a plurality of user-defined qualification states and a plurality of user-defined state transitions between the plurality of user defined qualification states of said life cycle process; performing said life cycle process on said object of a control strategy for a process control system by subjecting said object when checked out to said plurality of user-defined qualification states, each user-defined qualification state having attributes; providing a change state function for a user to change a current one of said user-defined qualification states to a next one of said user-defined qualification states, said change state function verifying compliance with said user-defined state transitions; and providing version control for said object in said source control system.