SDLC

Hi everyone. Hope all are doing well. I would like to share the process of SDLC (software development life cycle). SDLC acts as the foundation methodologies for all software development. It involves less estimation cost and fastest method used. SDLC is meant for process planning not a technical planning.

SDLC involves 5 stages or seven phases to complete the process of software development. The seven stages are listed as: Planning; Analysis; Design; Development; Testing; Deployment; and Maintenance.

PLANNING

It helps in determining the project goals of the organization. Three major cases of planning are,

1. Identify the system for development

2. Feasibility assessment (process of gathering all relevant factors which includes all technical, legal, and scheduling issues).

3. Creating a plan for software development

ANALYSIS

It plays a vital role in understanding the need of the end user; gathering the information about business requirements; helps in creation of process diagram; and collect detailed analysis of the software.

Business gathering plays a tough role in analysis. Here the information need to be gathered from entire organization, layout of design process takes place, but implementation of process is not revealed in analysis stage.

DESIGN

In design phase, features and operations of the software will be designed. Further pseudo code (programming language), protocol, and business layout with necessary documentation will be designed by the respective source. This phase directly reflects on building of IT infrastructure and System model (in the form of document).

Building of Infrastructure must be solid foundation in order to avoid crash and other malfunctioning.

Cost estimates, technical development, creating interfaces for user interaction, data models, and entity relationship diagrams (ERD) will be built in the designing phase. It helps in creating the blue print of software to be developed.

DEVELOPMENT

In development phase it helps in flourishing the infrastructure foundation and database with code enhancement. Here the blue print from designing stage is converted into actual form. It involves the following:

1. Software installation as per the need

2. Creation of codes and databases

This phase ensures high quality, correctness of the software, and also meets the customer expectations in limited time period.

TESTING

Testing is the important cycle of SDLC which directly measures the success of the software development and growth of the organization.

The codes developed from the previous stage are integrated and deployed into the environment. The prober tests the codes for presence of errors, bugs, also check for the expected result. It involves two major cases:

1. Writing the test cases

2. Executing the test cases.

Using these two cases, the prober go back to the developer in-case of any errors or the result doesn’t reach the expectations. This phase continues until the prober gets satisfied with the output by comparing with the details they received from the previous phases.

DEPLOYMENT

This phase helps in moving the software to production stage, delivering the software to the client, and supporters. By this we can analysis the success of the software and also improvise the left out things by receiving feedback from the end user.

MAINTENANCE

In this phase, it includes regular check on the software developed, with new / timely updates. Check whether the new software supports the end users, satisfy the regular changes and adjustment to be done to follow up the future changes. The cycle repeats until receiving the desired output. But SDLC doesn’t accept innovative/ creative input. In that case “Agile” (alternative cycle) is used.

CONCLUSION

Phases discussed above gives a clear view about SDLC cycle. SDLC plays a vital role in software development.