Chapter 1: The Systems Development Environment
Summary
TLDRThis chapter introduces the systems development process, emphasizing the importance of planning before coding begins. It outlines the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC), a traditional model with distinct phases: Planning, Analysis, Design, Implementation, and Maintenance. The SDLC is cyclical, transitioning from one system's end to the next's beginning. The chapter also mentions alternative methodologies like the Waterfall Model, Evolutionary models, Agile, eXtreme Programming, Scrum, Object-Oriented Analysis and Design, and Relational Unified Process. These cater to different project sizes and complexities, highlighting flexibility and iterative development.
Takeaways
- 💡 Systems development involves extensive planning before coding or purchasing equipment.
- 🔄 Methodologies like SDLC guide organizations through analyzing, designing, implementing, and maintaining systems.
- 🔧 The SDLC model consists of distinct phases: Planning, Analysis, Design, Implementation, and Maintenance.
- 🔁 SDLC is cyclical, with the end of one system's life leading to the planning of the next.
- 💻 Examples like Windows 8 illustrate the SDLC process, including bug fixes and service packs during Maintenance.
- 🔀 Some organizations may combine or add phases to the SDLC based on their specific needs.
- 📈 The Planning phase identifies important projects and outlines the end result's capabilities.
- 🔍 The Analysis phase details requirements, while the Design phase specifies hardware and software needs.
- 🛠️ The Implementation phase is where the actual development work is done.
- 🔧 The Maintenance phase addresses any issues or bugs that arise after implementation.
- ⏳ The SDLC's rigidity can be problematic, especially when changes to requirements or timelines are necessary.
- 🌀 Alternative methodologies like Evolutionary, Agile, and RUP offer flexibility and iterative approaches suitable for different project types.
Q & A
What is the primary focus of Chapter 1 in the context of systems development?
-Chapter 1 provides an overview of the systems development process, highlighting the various methodologies and phases involved in creating software applications or systems.
What are the key phases in the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)?
-The SDLC consists of distinct phases: Planning, Analysis, Design, Implementation, and Maintenance, which are cyclical in nature and can vary in structure depending on the organization's needs.
Why is the SDLC sometimes referred to as the Waterfall Model?
-The SDLC is sometimes called the Waterfall Model because it depicts a linear progression through the phases, where each phase flows into the next without returning to previous stages.
What is the purpose of the Planning phase in the SDLC?
-The Planning phase involves determining the importance of projects to an organization, discussing problems to be solved, and developing a rough idea of the system's capabilities.
How does the Analysis phase differ from the Planning phase in the SDLC?
-The Analysis phase delves deeper into the problems identified in the Planning phase and details the requirements needed to address those problems.
What is the role of the Design phase in the SDLC?
-The Design phase outlines the specifications for hardware and software, and determines where resources can be procured to meet the requirements established in the previous phases.
What activities typically occur during the Implementation phase?
-The Implementation phase is where the actual development work is carried out, based on the plans and designs created in the earlier phases.
Why might the Maintenance phase be considered the end of one system's life cycle and the beginning of another?
-The Maintenance phase is when bugs are fixed and updates are made. However, if significant changes are needed or new technological developments occur, it may lead back to the Planning phase, indicating the start of a new system's life cycle.
What are some issues that can arise from the rigidity of the SDLC?
-The rigidity of the SDLC can lead to problems such as difficulty in making changes to requirements during the Design phase, which can have a significant impact on the project's design and potentially the timeline and budget.
How do Evolutionary models differ from the traditional SDLC?
-Evolutionary models, sometimes known as spiral models, involve constant iteration and do not have a fixed end goal by the Maintenance phase. They allow for features to be added or removed based on user feedback.
What is the primary goal of Agile methodologies in systems development?
-Agile methodologies aim to complete projects as quickly as possible, with a focus on adaptability and heavy involvement from development teams and end users, especially when requirements are unpredictable.
How does the Relational Unified Process (RUP) compare to the SDLC?
-The RUP follows a four-phase model: Inception, Elaboration, Construction, and Transition, which shares many characteristics with the SDLC but is often associated with object-oriented programming practices.
Outlines
🔍 Overview of Systems Development Methodologies
Chapter 1 introduces the systems development process, emphasizing that it involves more than just coding and testing. It highlights the importance of planning and methodologies that guide an organization through system analysis, design, implementation, and maintenance. The Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is introduced as a cyclical model with distinct phases, which can be adapted or modified to suit organizational needs. The chapter also touches on the Waterfall Model and discusses the potential issues with rigid methodologies, such as the difficulty of making changes and the emphasis on meeting deadlines. The SDLC is recognized as useful for large projects with clear objectives, while other methodologies like evolutionary models are better suited for smaller or more flexible projects.
🔄 Iterative Models in Systems Development
Paragraph 2 delves into iterative development models like the spiral model, which allows for continuous feedback and feature adjustments based on user input. It mentions that many games are developed using this approach, with multiple cycles of beta testing and feedback collection. Agile methodologies are introduced as a way to quickly adapt to changing requirements and user needs, with eXtreme Programming and Scrum being popular examples. The paragraph also briefly mentions Object-Oriented Analysis and Design (OOAD) and the Relational Unified Process (RUP), noting their similarities to object-oriented programming and the SDLC. The summary emphasizes the importance of understanding different development methodologies and their applicability to various project sizes and complexities, with a focus on the waterfall methodology for the course.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
💡Methodologies
💡Waterfall Model
💡Planning Phase
💡Analysis Phase
💡Design Phase
💡Implementation Phase
💡Maintenance Phase
💡Evolutionary Models
💡Agile Methodologies
💡Object-Oriented Analysis and Design (OOAD)
💡Relational Unified Process (RUP)
Highlights
Overview of the systems development process, including coding, testing, and planning.
Introduction to methodologies for analyzing, designing, implementing, and maintaining a system.
Definition and explanation of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) with its distinct phases.
Description of the cyclical nature of SDLC, using Windows 8 as an example.
Variability in SDLC phases and their naming across different organizations.
Explanation of the Waterfall Model as a linear interpretation of the SDLC.
Details of the Planning phase, focusing on project importance and problem-solving.
Deep dive into the Analysis phase, detailing requirements and problem specifics.
Design phase overview, including hardware and software specifications.
Implementation phase description, where the actual work of the project is executed.
Maintenance phase explanation, focusing on bug fixes and system updates.
Challenges with the rigidity of the SDLC model and its origins in the 1960s.
Impact of requirements changes on the design and overall project during the SDLC.
Emphasis on meeting deadlines and the potential effects on project budget and quality.
Applicability of the SDLC for large projects with multiple sub-development efforts.
Introduction to Evolutionary models and their iterative nature, with a focus on user feedback.
Agile methodologies, their focus on quick project completion, and heavy involvement from development and end users.
Overview of eXtreme Programming and Scrum as popular agile methodologies.
Description of Object-Oriented Analysis and Design and Relational Unified Process methodologies.
Summary of the importance of understanding development methodologies and their application in different project sizes and contexts.
Transcripts
Chapter 1 gives us an overview of the systems development process. You probably haven’t
thought much about how systems or software applications are put together or developed.
You’re probably aware that there’s some coding involved, as well as some internal
or alpha testing, and there may be some beta testing as well. But that’s just part of
the whole picture behind systems development. There is a lot of planning involved before
any code is written or any networking equipment is purchased.
When we talk about methodologies, we’re talking about ways that an organization goes
through this process of analyzing, designing, implementing, and maintaining a system. There
are several methodologies out there today, and each one has its usefulness depending
on the situation. The oldest model is the Systems Development Life Cycle, or SDLC. This
is distinguished by its distinct and discrete phases consisting of Planning, Analysis, Design,
Implementation, and Maintenance phases. It’s cyclical in nature, in that the end of the
useful life of one system leads to the start of the next. If we were to look at Windows,
for example, we can see how this works out. Windows 8 went through a process like this
as it was being prepared for the public, and once it hit the shelves, the development team
fixed bugs and released service packs, and eventually Windows 8.1, which is all part
of the Maintenance phase. At some point, a decision was made to come up with something
completely new, because there were too many bugs to fix, or because there were new technological
developments, or whatever the reason may be, moving us from the Maintenance phase back
to the Planning phase to start a new product, which eventually became Windows 10.
The SDLC isn’t always a five-phase process. Some organizations might combine phases, and
others might add one or two, depending on their needs. The names of the phases might
not even be the same from organization to organization, but the ideas behind them are
the same. If you understand the general flow behind projects that follow the SDLC, you’ll
be fine. In some places, you might find the SDLC referred
to as the Waterfall Model. Some organizations think of the process in a linear fashion rather
than a circular one. The concepts behind the different phases are the same in either case.
The Planning phase involves figuring out what projects are important to an organization,
discussing the problems to be solved, and developing a rough idea of what the end result
will be able to do. The Analysis phase dives deeper into problem and starts to detail what
the requirements will be. The Design phase lays out what will be needed to make this
happen in terms of the specifications of the hardware and software, and where everything
can be procured. The Implementation phase is where all the work gets done, and the Maintenance
phase is where any problems or bugs are fixed. We’ll get more specific with what each phase
does in future chapters, but for now get a grasp on the general ideas behind each of
the phases. The methodology can get problematic if you
follow it the way it was designed. This model was developed back in the early 1960s as a
means of controlling government projects, and the intention was to make sure that at
each phase, there were clear objectives or milestones to meet and a way to get out of
the project if things weren’t going as planned. This rigidity can lead to issues. For example,
if you’re on the Design phase, you should already know what the design requirements
are so that you can start coming up with a plan to meet those requirements. You should
know that your system will need to be accessible on mobile devices and take both biometric
authentication as well as your typical username and password combinations. These requirements
originate in the Planning phase but are typically fleshed out in the Analysis phase. If someone
wanted to make changes to those requirements, that could possibly have a huge impact on
the design aspects, so generally speaking changes need to go through a vetting process
before they’re accepted as part of the requirements. There’s also a heavy emphasis on meeting
deadlines. We’ll see in future chapters that changes to the timeline also may affect
the budget and the scope of the project, which in turn could affect the overall quality of
the project. All this doesn’t make the SDLC obsolete.
This methodology can be useful if you have large projects with many different sub-development
efforts, or it can be useful if you have a specific idea of what the end result is supposed
to do or look like. For smaller projects, there are other options.
Evolutionary models are sometimes known as spiral models because of the constant iteration
involved. Evolutionary models sometimes use the same phases in the SDLC, but the key difference
is that there isn’t really a specific end goal to meet by the time you get to the Maintenance
phase. At that point, you can decide to add or remove features based on user feedback.
Many games are developed using this concept. A company may put out a beta version, get
feedback, rerelease, get more feedback, and then go wide release. This model gives the
team a lot of flexibility in terms of getting just the right features in place while creating
different prototypes to analyze their work, but the more cycles you have, the longer a
project goes and the more you spend on that project.
Agile methodologies also follow iterative methodologies, and these models aim to have
a project completed as quickly as possible. Like the spiral model, agile methodologies
can be used for projects where requirements are unpredictable, and you need to have heavy
involvement from your development team as well as the end users or customers. Agile
methods are more for software development, versus systems development which may include
new hardware infrastructure in addition to software applications. Two of the more popular
agile methodologies are eXtreme Programming and Scrum.
Two other methodologies are Object-Oriented Analysis and Design and Relational Unified
Process. Both share commonalities with object-oriented programming, where you deal with objects,
methods, and inheritance. RUP follows a four-phase model: Inception, Elaboration, Construction,
and Transition, which, when you break down what happens in each phase, has a lot of the
same characteristics as the SDLC. In summary, be familiar with what a development
methodology is and the general steps that the SDLC follows. Also know that there are
different models that organizations use, including spiral, XP, Scrum, OOAD, and RUP. You don’t
need to know all the details behind the different phases and the teams involved, but you should
know some general characteristics such as their use in large or small projects or their
iterative natures. This course will focus on the waterfall methodology for the most
part, but the concepts should translate into the other models should you encounter those
in the future.
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