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Software Processes

The document discusses software processes and models. It describes key software process activities like specifications, development, validation, and evolution. It also outlines different types of software process models including workflow, dataflow, and role/action models. Several general software development models are presented, such as waterfall, evolutionary development, formal transformation, and system assembly from reusable components. Finally, it discusses the "software crisis" in terms of increasing size, quality issues, costs, and delayed deliveries for software projects.

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Pratik Kelkar
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25 views

Software Processes

The document discusses software processes and models. It describes key software process activities like specifications, development, validation, and evolution. It also outlines different types of software process models including workflow, dataflow, and role/action models. Several general software development models are presented, such as waterfall, evolutionary development, formal transformation, and system assembly from reusable components. Finally, it discusses the "software crisis" in terms of increasing size, quality issues, costs, and delayed deliveries for software projects.

Uploaded by

Pratik Kelkar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Software Processes

The term software specifies to the set of computer programs, procedures and
associated documents (Flowcharts, manuals, etc.) that describe the program and how
they are to be used.

A software process is the set of activities and associated outcome that produce a
software product. Software engineers mostly carry out these activities. These are four
key process activities, which are common to all software processes. These activities are:

1. Software specifications: The functionality of the software and constraints on


its operation must be defined.
2. Software development: The software to meet the requirement must be
produced.
3. Software validation: The software must be validated to ensure that it does
what the customer wants.
4. Software evolution: The software must evolve to meet changing client needs.

The Software Process Model


A software process model is a specified definition of a software process, which is
presented from a particular perspective. Models, by their nature, are a simplification,
so a software process model is an abstraction of the actual process, which is being
described. Process models may contain activities, which are part of the software
process, software product, and the roles of people involved in software engineering.
Some examples of the types of software process models that may be produced are:

1. A workflow model: This shows the series of activities in the process along with
their inputs, outputs and dependencies. The activities in this model perform
human actions.
2. 2. A dataflow or activity model: This represents the process as a set of
activities, each of which carries out some data transformations. It shows how
the input to the process, such as a specification is converted to an output such
as a design. The activities here may be at a lower level than activities in a
workflow model. They may perform transformations carried out by people or
by computers.
3. 3. A role/action model: This means the roles of the people involved in the
software process and the activities for which they are responsible.
There are several various general models or paradigms of software development:

1. The waterfall approach: This takes the above activities and produces them as
separate process phases such as requirements specification, software design,
implementation, testing, and so on. After each stage is defined, it is "signed off"
and development goes onto the following stage.
2. Evolutionary development: This method interleaves the activities of
specification, development, and validation. An initial system is rapidly
developed from a very abstract specification.
3. Formal transformation: This method is based on producing a formal
mathematical system specification and transforming this specification, using
mathematical methods to a program. These transformations are 'correctness
preserving.' This means that you can be sure that the developed programs meet
its specification.
4. System assembly from reusable components: This method assumes the parts
of the system already exist. The system development process target on
integrating these parts rather than developing them from scratch.

Software Crisis
1. Size: Software is becoming more expensive and more complex with the
growing complexity and expectation out of software. For example, the code in
the consumer product is doubling every couple of years.
2. Quality: Many software products have poor quality, i.e., the software products
defects after putting into use due to ineffective testing technique. For example,
Software testing typically finds 25 errors per 1000 lines of code.
3. Cost: Software development is costly i.e. in terms of time taken to develop and
the money involved. For example, Development of the FAA's Advanced
Automation System cost over $700 per lines of code.
4. Delayed Delivery: Serious schedule overruns are common. Very often the
software takes longer than the estimated time to develop, which in turn leads
to cost shooting up. For example, one in four large-scale development projects
is never completed.
Program vs. Software
Software is more than programs. Any program is a subset of software, and it becomes
software only if documentation & operating procedures manuals are prepared.

There are three components of the software as shown in fig:

1. Program: Program is a combination of source code & object code.

2. Documentation: Documentation consists of different types of manuals. Examples


of documentation manuals are: Data Flow Diagram, Flow Charts, ER diagrams, etc.
3. Operating Procedures: Operating Procedures consist of instructions to set up and
use the software system and instructions on how react to the system failure. Example
of operating system procedures manuals is: installation guide, Beginner's guide,
reference guide, system administration guide, etc.

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