Modeling the Process

and Life Cycle

Modeling
Modeling thethe Process
Process and Life Cycle

and Life Cycle

Contents

1. The Meaning of Process

2. Software Process Models
Objectives

• What we mean by a “process”

• Software development products, processes,
and resources
• Several models of the software development
process
• Tools and techniques for process modeling
2.1 The Meaning of Process

• A process: a series of steps involving

activities, constrains, and resources that
produce an intended ouput of some kind
• A process involves a set of tools and
techniques
 2.1 The Meaning of Process
Process Characteristics

• Prescribes all major process activities

• Uses resources, subject to set of constraints (such as
schedule)
• Produces intermediate and final products
• May be composed of subprocesses with hierarchy or
links
• Each process activity has entry and exit criteria
• Activities are organized in sequence, so timing is clear
• Each process guiding principles, including goals of each
activity
• Constraints may apply to an activity, resource or
product
 2.1 The Meaning of Process
The Importance of Processes
• Impose consistency and structure on a set of
activities
• Guide us to understand, control, examine, and
improve the activities
• Enable us to capture our experiences and pass
them along
2.2 Software Process Models
Reasons for Modeling a Process

• To form a common understanding

• To find inconsistencies, redundancies,
omissions
• To find and evaluate appropriate activities
for reaching process goals
• To tailor a general process for a particular
situation in which it will be used
2.2 Software Process Models
Software Life Cycle
• When a process involves building a software,
the process may be referred to as software
life cycle
– Requirements analysis and definition
– System (architecture) design
– Program (detailed/procedural) design
– Writing programs (coding/implementation)
– Testing: unit, integration, system
– System delivery (deployment)

– Maintenance
2.2 Software Process Models
Software Development Process Models

• Waterfall model
• V model
• Prototyping model
• Operational specification
• Transformational model
• Phased development: increments and
iteration
• Spiral model
• Agile methods
2.2 Software Process Models
Waterfall Model

• One of the first process development models

proposed
• Works for well understood problems with
minimal or no changes in the requirements
• Simple and easy to explain to customers
• It presents
– a very high-level view of the development process
– sequence of process activities
• Each major phase is marked by milestones
and deliverables (artifacts)
2.2 Software Process Models
Waterfall Model (continued)
2.2 Software Process Models
Waterfall Model (continued)

• Most software developments apply a great

many iterations
2.2 Software Process Models
Sidebar 2.1 Drawbacks of The Waterfall Model

• Provides no guidance how to handle changes

to products and activities during
development (assumes requirements can be
frozen)
• Views software development as
manufacturing process rather than as
creative process
• There is no iterative activities that lead to
creating a final product
• Long wait before a final product
2.2 Software Process Models
Modified Waterfall Model (continued)
2.2 Software Process Models
Waterfall Model with Prototype

• A prototype is a partially developed product

• Prototyping helps
– developers assess alternative design strategies
(design prototype)
– users understand what the system will be like
(user interface prototype)
• Protopyping is useful for verification and
validation
2.2 Software Process Models
Waterfall Model with Prototype (continued)

• Waterfall model with prototyping

2.2 Software Process Models
V Model

• A variation of the waterfall model

• Uses unit testing to verify procedural design
• Uses integration testing to verify
architectural (system) design
• Uses acceptance testing to validate the
requirements
• If problems are found during verification and
validation, the left side of the V can be re-
executed before testing on the right side is
re-enacted
2.2 Software Process Models
V Model (continued)
2.2 Software Process Models
Prototyping Model

• Allows repeated investigation of the

requirements or design
• Reduces risk and uncertainty in the
development
2.2 Software Process Models
Phased Development: Increments and Iterations

• Shorter cycle time

• System delivered in pieces
– enables customers to have some functionality
while the rest is being developed
• Allows two systems functioning in parallel
– the production system (release n): currently being
used
– the development system (release n+1): the next
version
2.2 Software Process Models
Phased Development: Increments and Iterations
(continued)
2.2 Software Process Models
Phased Development: Increments and Iterations
(continued)

• Incremental development: starts with small functional

subsystem and adds functionality with each new release
• Iterative development: starts with full system, then
changes functionality of each subsystem with each new
release
2.2 Software Process Models
Phased Development: Increments and Iterations
(continued)

• Phased development is desirable for several

reasons
– Training can begin early, even though some
functions are missing
– Markets can be created early for functionality that
has never before been offered
– Frequent releases allow developers to fix
unanticipated problems globaly and quickly
– The development team can focus on different areas
of expertise with different releases
2.2 Software Process Models
Spiral Model

• Suggested by Boehm (1988)

• Combines development activities with risk
management to minimize and control risks
• The model is presented as a spiral in which
each iteration is represented by a circuit
around four major activities
– Plan
– Determine goals, alternatives and constraints
– Evaluate alternatives and risks
– Develop and test
2.2 Software Process Models
Spiral Model (continued)
2.2 Software Process Models
Agile Methods
• Emphasis on flexibility in producing software
quickly and capably
• Agile manifesto
– Value individuals and interactions over process and
tools
– Prefer to invest time in producing working software
rather than in producing comprehensive
documentation
– Focus on customer collaboration rather than
contract negotiation
– Concentrate on responding to change rather than on
creating a plan and then following it
2.2 Software Process Models
Agile Methods: Examples of Agile Process

• Extreme programming (XP) - Extreme Programming

(XP) is an agile software development framework that aims to
produce higher quality software, and higher quality of life for
the development team.
• Crystal: a collection of approaches based on the notion that
every project needs a unique set of policies and conventions
• Scrum: 30-day iterations; multiple self-organizing teams;
daily “scrum” coordination
• Adaptive software development (ASD) - aims to
enable teams to quickly and effectively adapt to changing
requirements or market needs by evolving their products with
lightweight planning and continuous learning
2.2 Software Process Models
Agile Methods: Extreme Programming
2.2 Software Process Models
Agile Methods: Extreme Programming

• Emphasis on four characteristics of agility

– Communication: continual interchange between
customers and developers
– Simplicity: select the simplest design or
implementation
– Courage: commitment to delivering functionality
early and often
– Feedback: loops built into the various activitites
during the development process
– Respect: need to respect each other in order to
communicate with each other, provide and accept
feedback, and to work together
2.2 Software Process Models
Agile Methods: Crystal
2.2 Software Process Models
Agile Methods: Scrum

Sprint Periodic Sprint

Scrum Sprint Review
Planning Retrospect
Meeting Meeting
Meeting Meeting
2.2 Software Process Models
Agile Methods: ASD
Thank you!