Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) – Phases

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Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is the application of standard business practices to building software applications. It’s typically divided into six to eight steps: Planning, Requirements, Design, Build, Document, Test, Deploy, Maintain.

Six Phases of the System Development Life Cycle

  • Preliminary Investigation
    • Assesses feasibility and practicality of system
  • System Analysis
    • Study old system and identify new requirements
    • Defines system from user’s view
  • System Design
    • Design new/alternative system
    • Defines system from technical view
  • System Development
    • New hardware and software is acquired, developed, and tested
  • System Implementation
    • System installation and training
  • System Operation & Maintenance
    • Daily operation
    • Periodic evaluation and updating

Preliminary Investigation – Software Development Life Cycle

Determine if a new system is needed

  • Three primary tasks:– Define the problem
  • By observation and interview, determine what information is needed by whom, when, where and why
    • Suggest alternative solutions
    • Prepare a short report

System Analysis

  • In depth study of the existing system to determine what the new system should do.
    • Expand on data gathered in Phase 1
  • In addition to observation and interviews, examine:
    • Formal lines of authority (org chart)
    • Standard operating procedures
    • How information flows
    • Reasons for any inefficiencies

System Analysis Documentation Produced

Complete description of current system and its problems

  • Requirements for new system including:
    – Subject
    – Scope
    – Objectives
    – Benefits
  • Possible development schedule

System Design

  1. Uses specifications from the systems analysis to design alternative systems
  2. Computer – Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools are software based products designed to help automate the production of information systems.

Examples:
– Diagramming Tools
– Data Repositories
– Prototyping Tools
– Test Data Generators
– Documentation Tools
– Project Management Tools

System Design Documentation Produced

  • System Design Report
    – Describe Alternatives including:

  • Recommend Top Alternative based upon:
    • System Fit into the Organization
    • Flexibility for the future
    • Costs vs. benefits

System Development

  • Build the system to the design specifications
  • Develop the software
  • Purchase off the shelf software OR
  • Write custom software
  • Acquire the hardware
  • Test the new system
  • Module (unit) test – tests each part of system
  • Integration testing – tests system as one unit
  • Create manuals for users and operators

System Implementation

  • Convert from old system to new system
  • Train users
  • Compile final documentation
  • Evaluate the new system

Operations & Maintenance

  • Types of changes:
    – Physical repair of the system
    – Correction of new bugs found (corrective)
    – System adjustments to environmental changes
    – Adjustments for users’ changing needs (adaptive)
    – Changes to user better techniques when they become available (perfective)
  • Evaluation Methods
    – Systems audit – performance compared to original specifications
    – Periodic evaluation – “checkups” from time to time, modifications if necessary

Advantages of Software Development Life Cycle SDLC

Increase
Development speed
Product Quality
Improve
Tracking & Control
Client relation
Decrease
Project risk & Project management overhead

Read More Topics
Control System Engineering
Central Processing Unit
Software product and process
Agility and cost of change
The Open System Interconnection (OSI) Model

Santhakumar Raja

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