074 Flashcards
Question 1: Differentiate between software engineering and system engineering.
Answer:
Software Engineering: Software engineering focuses on the systematic development and maintenance of software systems. It involves designing, coding, testing, and maintaining software applications using engineering principles and practices.
System Engineering: System engineering focuses on designing and managing complex systems that may include hardware, software, and other components. It involves the integration of various subsystems, ensuring their compatibility and functionality within the larger system context.
Question 2: Describe the spiral model with its advantages and disadvantages.
Answer:
The Spiral Model: The spiral model is an iterative and risk-driven software development model. It combines elements of both waterfall and iterative approaches, emphasizing risk analysis and mitigation throughout the project life cycle. The model consists of iterative cycles, with each cycle including activities like planning, risk analysis, development, and evaluation.
Advantages:
Risk-focused approach helps identify and address project risks early.
Allows flexibility and accommodates changes during development.
Supports iterative development and prototyping.
Disadvantages:
Can be complex to manage due to the involvement of multiple iterations.
Requires experienced and skilled personnel for effective risk analysis.
Can lead to scope creep if not properly managed.
Question 3: What is risk management? Explain the risk management process.
Answer:
Risk Management: Risk management involves identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that could impact the success of a project. It aims to proactively minimize the likelihood and impact of potential risks on project objectives.
Risk Management Process:
Risk Identification: Identify potential risks that could affect the project.
Risk Analysis: Evaluate and assess the likelihood and impact of identified risks.
Risk Planning: Develop strategies and plans to mitigate, avoid, transfer, or accept risks.
Risk Monitoring: Continuously monitor and track risks throughout the project.
Risk Response: Implement the planned risk response strategies.
Risk Control: Regularly review and update risk management activities.
Question 4: What is a software requirement? Explain the software requirements process.
Software Requirement: A software requirement defines what the software should do or the properties it must possess. It captures the needs and expectations of stakeholders.
Software Requirements Process:
Requirements Elicitation: Gather requirements from stakeholders through interviews, surveys, workshops, etc.
Requirements Analysis: Analyze and refine the collected requirements to identify inconsistencies, conflicts, and ambiguities.
Requirements Specification: Document the requirements in a clear and unambiguous manner.
Requirements Validation: Review and validate the requirements with stakeholders to ensure accuracy and completeness.
Requirements Management: Manage changes to requirements throughout the project life cycle.
Question 5: What is a rapid prototyping technique? Mention the types of rapid prototyping techniques and explain them.
Answer:
Rapid Prototyping Technique: Rapid prototyping involves quickly creating prototypes or mockups of a software system to gather feedback, evaluate design concepts, and validate requirements.
Types of Rapid Prototyping Techniques:
Throwaway Prototyping: A quick prototype is built to explore design ideas and gather feedback. It is discarded after evaluation.
Evolutionary Prototyping: An initial prototype is built and gradually refined based on user feedback and changing requirements.
Incremental Prototyping: The system is developed in small increments, with each increment adding new functionality or refining existing features.
Question 7: What is the client-server model? Explain the advantages and disadvantages of the client-server model.
Answer:
Client-Server Model: In the client-server model, the system is divided into two main components: clients and servers. Clients send requests to servers, and servers respond by providing requested services or data.
Advantages:
Scalability: Clients can be added or removed without impacting the server, allowing for flexible system growth.
Centralized Control and Management: Servers provide centralized control, data management, and security.
Efficient Resource Utilization: Multiple clients can share the resources provided by a single server.
Disadvantages:
Reliance on the Server: If the server fails, clients may not be able to access the services or data they require.
Network Dependency: The client and server need to communicate over a network, which can introduce latency and reliability concerns.
Increased Complexity: Developing and maintaining client-server applications can be more complex than standalone applications.
Question 8: Draw a use case diagram of a credit card validation system. [Use your own assumptions].
Answer: [Please note that as a text-based AI, I cannot provide a visual representation like a diagram.]
Assuming a basic credit card validation system, a use case diagram might include the following elements:
Actors: Customer, Credit Card Processor.
Use Cases: Validate Credit Card, Process Payment.
Relationships: Customer interacts with the Validate Credit Card use case. The Validate Credit Card use case interacts with the Credit Card Processor, which further interacts with the Process Payment use case.
Question 9: Describe the clean room software development process.
Answer:
Clean Room Software Development: Clean room software development is a methodology that emphasizes defect prevention through rigorous formal methods, statistical testing, and incremental development.
Key Characteristics:
Formal Specification: Precise mathematical specifications are used to define system behavior and properties.
Incremental Development: The system is developed incrementally, with each increment being formally verified before proceeding.
Statistical Testing: Controlled statistical techniques are used to evaluate the reliability and correctness of the software.
Statistical Usage Testing: Real-world usage data is collected and analyzed to guide testing and identify defects.
Question 10: Compare and contrast between white-box and black-box testing.
Answer:
White-box Testing: White-box testing, also known as structural testing or code-based testing, involves testing the internal structure and implementation details of a software system. Testers have knowledge of the system’s internal workings and use it to design test cases.
Black-box Testing: Black-box testing, also known as functional testing or specification-based testing, focuses on testing the external behavior of the software system without considering its internal structure. Testers have no knowledge of the system’s internal implementation and base test cases on system requirements and specifications.
Comparison:
Knowledge: White-box testing requires knowledge of the system’s internal structure, while black-box testing does not.
Focus: White-box testing targets specific code paths and internal components, while black-box testing focuses on overall system functionality.
Test Design: White-box testing involves designing test cases based on code coverage and internal logic, while black-box testing designs test cases based on functional requirements and user perspectives.
Question 11: What is source code translation? Explain the program translation process with a diagram.
Answer:
Source Code Translation: Source code translation is the process of converting source code written in one programming language to another programming language. It is often used when migrating or porting software systems to a different platform or language.
Program Translation Process:
Lexical Analysis: The source code is analyzed to identify individual tokens such as keywords, identifiers, and symbols.
Syntax Analysis: The tokens are parsed according to the grammar rules of the source language to create a parse tree.
Semantic Analysis: The parse tree is validated for semantic correctness, including type checking and scope analysis.
Intermediate Code Generation: Intermediate code or an intermediate representation is generated as an intermediate step.
Optimization: The intermediate code is optimized to improve efficiency and performance.
Code Generation: The optimized intermediate code is translated into the target language, generating the equivalent source code.
Linking and Compilation: The translated code is linked with necessary libraries and dependencies and compiled into an executable format.
Short Notes:
a) COCOMO 2nd: COCOMO (Constructive Cost Model)
b) System Engineering:
c) Safety Assurance:
Short Notes:
a) COCOMO 2nd: COCOMO (Constructive Cost Model) is a software cost estimation model used to estimate project effort, duration, and cost. COCOMO 2nd is an updated version that considers modern software development practices and includes different sub-models for estimating different types of software projects.
b) System Engineering: System engineering is an interdisciplinary approach to designing and managing complex systems. It involves considering all aspects of a system’s life cycle, including requirements, design, implementation, integration, and maintenance.
c) Safety Assurance: Safety assurance refers to the processes and activities involved in ensuring that a software system operates safely and without posing risks to users or the environment. It includes techniques such as risk analysis, safety standards compliance, and rigorous testing.
