Software Processes Lecture 4

The Requirements Engineering Process

• Establishing the necessary services and constraints on system operation and development.
• Key activities include:
  • Requirements elicitation and analysis: Identifying expectations of system stakeholders.
  • Requirements specification: Detailing the requirements.
  • Requirements validation: Ensuring the validity of specified requirements.

Software Design and Implementation

• Transforming system specifications into executable systems.
• Key activities:
  • Software design: Creating a structure that adheres to specifications.
  • Implementation: Converting the design into functioning programs.
• Design and implementation are closely interconnected and often interleaved.

Design Activities

• Architectural Design: Defining the system’s overall structure, major components, and their interactions.
• Database Design: Creating data structures and their representation in a database.
• Interface Design: Defining the interfaces between different system components.
• Component Selection and Design: Finding reusable components or designing new components if necessary.

System Implementation

• Implementing software through program development or application system configuration.
• Programming often lacks standard processes and is primarily an individual activity.
• Debugging involves identifying and correcting faults in the program.

Software Validation

• Verification and validation (V&V) ensure the system meets specifications and customer requirements.
• Includes checking, reviewing processes, and system testing.
• System testing is conducted using test cases derived from the specification with actual data.

Stages of Testing

• Component Testing: Independent testing of individual components such as functions or objects.
• System Testing: Comprehensive testing of the entire system, focusing on emergent properties.
• Customer Testing: Verifying that the system meets customer needs using customer data.

Testing Phases in a Plan-Driven Software Process (V-Model)

• Structured phases to ensure systematic testing aligned with development stages.

Software Evolution

• Software is designed to be flexible and adaptable.
• As business requirements evolve, corresponding software modifications are essential.
• The distinction between development and maintenance is becoming less significant as most software requires ongoing evolution.

This quiz covers Lecture 4 on Software Processes, focusing specifically on the requirements engineering process. It explores the steps involved in requirements elicitation, analysis, and specification to understand stakeholder expectations from a system. Test your knowledge on these crucial software development concepts.