Chapter 6 - Development lifecycle and approaches

Question 1

What does the System Development Lifecycle (SDLC) cover?

Answer 1

The SDLC covers the entire life of a system, including feasibility study, analysis, specification, design, development, operation, maintenance, and enhancement.

Question 2

what is the focus of the Project Lifecycle?

Answer 2

The Project Lifecycle focuses on delivering a specified business product within constraints of time, cost, resources, and quality.

Question 3

How do projects and system development lifecycles differ?

Answer 3

System development lifecycles typically cover technical deliverables, while project lifecycles include management, quality aspects, and all elements necessary for project success.

Question 4

How does PRINCE2 classify project products?

Answer 4

PRINCE2 divides products into two groups: Specialist Products (actual IS deliverables like software and user manuals) and Management Products (project management tools like organization, plans, and reports, including quality criteria and controls).

Question 5

Why is choosing an appropriate lifecycle model important for project success?

Answer 5

It is important for project success to have a defined lifecycle model to ensure clarity and alignment of project activities.

Question 6

Who typically determines the lifecycle model for a project?

Answer 6

The lifecycle model may be predetermined by the organization or project strategy.

Question 7

What are the characteristics of the Waterfall Model?

Answer 7

The Waterfall model is a sequential development process with distinct stages. Each stage must be completed before the next begins, and outputs from one stage serve as inputs to the next.

Question 8

How does the Spiral Model differ from the Waterfall Model?

Answer 8

The Spiral Model is an iterative development process with a focus on risk analysis.

Question 9

What is verification and validation in the context of the Waterfall model?

Answer 9

Verification ensures that the product is built correctly according to specifications, while validation ensures that the product is fit for its intended use.

Question 10

What are the strengths of the Waterfall model?

Answer 10

The sequencing of activities enhances quality management via verification and validation. It also facilitates configuration management through baselining products at the end of each stage and complements project management planning, control techniques, and change control processes.

Question 11

What are the limitations of the Waterfall model?

Answer 11

It lacks explicit mechanisms for management control, planning, and risk management. It is best suited for projects with well-understood requirements and stable business contexts, being less effective for projects with unclear requirements or subject to significant changes.

Question 12

What weaknesses does the ‘b’ model address in the Waterfall model?

Answer 12

The ‘b’ model addresses the inadequacy of covering the maintenance phase adequately and treating it as a separate, distinct stage.

Question 13

Why is maintenance considered important in the ‘b’ model?

Answer 13

Maintenance is crucial because it constitutes the majority of effort in a system’s lifecycle and can represent over 70% of total lifecycle costs.

Question 14

What is the purpose of the Incremental model?

Answer 14

The Incremental model delivers system functionality in phases over time, also known as phased delivery.

Question 15

What are the advantages of the Incremental model?

Answer 15

It makes delivery and testing more manageable, allows for the gradual introduction of new system components, and facilitates familiarization with changes within the organization.

Question 16

What challenges does the Incremental model pose?

Answer 16

It requires phases that are internally consistent, introduces overhead due to integration and retesting of each phase, and necessitates a complete scope and clear requirements before defining increments.

Question 17

How does the Spiral model compare with the Waterfall model?

Answer 17

The Spiral model contrasts with the Waterfall’s sequential process by being an evolutionary or iterative approach to systems development.

Question 18

What are the key phases in the Spiral model?

Answer 18

The Spiral model, developed by Barry Boehm, is divided into four quadrants: determining objectives and constraints, evaluating alternatives and resolving risks, development phase similar to the waterfall, and planning the next phase or iteration.

Question 19

What are the key concepts emphasized in the Spiral model?

Answer 19

It emphasizes risk management, objective setting, and iterative planning to effectively manage project constraints over iterative cycles.

Question 20

What is the traditional approach to systems development?

Answer 20

The traditional approach refers to unstructured and non-specific methods, often based on variations of the waterfall model.

Question 21

What are the key characteristics of the traditional approach to systems development?

Answer 21

It lacks user involvement throughout the development process, relies primarily on text-based documentation, and emphasizes how tasks are to be achieved rather than defining what needs to be achieved.

Question 22

How are users engaged in the traditional approach?

Answer 22

Users are involved only initially during the analysis stage and again after the requirements specification, with limited formal involvement.

Question 23

What are the advantages of the traditional approach?

Answer 23

It suits analysts and users who prefer intuitive methods and makes minimal demands on users’ time due to simplified documentation in English.

Question 24

What are the disadvantages of the traditional approach?

Answer 24

Text-based documentation can be ambiguous and interpreted differently, often resulting in poor-quality systems due to a lack of user input and ownership, and fostering blame between users and developers.

Question 25

Why did agile approaches emerge?

Answer 25

Agile approaches emerged as a reaction to the perceived inefficiencies of structured methods like the waterfall model, aiming to deliver results more quickly amidst rapid business changes, evolving technology, and increasing user expectations.

Question 26

What is the focus of Rapid Application Development (RAD) and agile methods?

Answer 26

RAD and agile methods emphasize rapid delivery despite potential imperfections, quick response to business opportunities and changes, and minimizing external changes during development.

Question 27

How does agile development employ iterative and incremental development?

Answer 27

Agile development uses iterative cycles where each iteration adds functionality or enhances performance based on evolving requirements and insights, with prototyping playing a crucial role in clarifying requirements and incorporating user feedback.

Question 28

What is Scrum in the context of agile methods?

Answer 28

Scrum is an iterative approach with 30-day sprints that emphasizes frequent, time-boxed deliveries, facilitated by a ScrumMaster who guides rather than directs the process.

Question 29

What is DSDM (Dynamic System Development Method)?

Answer 29

DSDM is a UK-based agile method focusing on business needs, timeboxing, collaboration, and quality.

Question 30

For what types of projects is agile suitable, and what are some challenges?

Answer 30

Agile is suitable for projects where requirements are unstable and scope may evolve, with challenges for project managers including maintaining control amidst rapid development cycles and evolving requirements.

Question 31

What benefits do organizations gain from successful agile implementations?

Answer 31

Organizations benefit from agile’s ability to deliver usable software quickly, enhancing user satisfaction and adapting to changing business needs.

Question 32

What are the fundamentals of objects in object-oriented development?

Answer 32

Objects encapsulate both data (variables) and processes (methods), and communication between objects occurs via messages, resembling real-world interactions.

Question 33

What are the advantages of OO principles in large-scale system development?

Answer 33

OO principles ease coordination, localize changes to specific objects (minimizing system-wide modifications), and enhance maintainability.

Question 34

What challenges does OO analysis present compared to traditional structured analysis?

Answer 34

Traditional structured analysis separates data and processes, whereas OO analysis requires integrating methods and variables together for effective system design.

Question 35

What is the purpose of the Unified Modelling Language (UML) in OO projects?

Answer 35

UML provides a visual language for modeling object-oriented projects, standardizing the way OO systems are represented and understood.

Question 36

What is the Unified Process (UP) and how does it relate to UML?

Answer 36

UP offers a process model for project development, utilizing UML for visual representation. It standardizes the approach to managing OO projects.

Question 37

What is the Rational Unified Process (RUP)?

Answer 37

RUP is a commercially available set of processes and tools based on the Unified Process, created by Rational Corporation, and has become a widely adopted industry standard.

Question 38

What are the four phases of the Unified Process?

Answer 38

The four phases are Inception (defining project scope and objectives), Elaboration (detailed analysis and risk mitigation), Construction (design and implementation), and Transition (deployment and user training).

Question 39

What are the five key workflows in each phase of the Unified Process?

Answer 39

The five key workflows are requirements, analysis, design, implementation, and test. The balance of these workflows varies by phase to ensure appropriate focus at each stage of development.