Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) / System Development

SDLC Resources

The software development life cycle (SDLC) is the entire process of formal, logical steps taken to develop a software product. Within the broader context of Application Lifecycle Management (ALM), the SDLC is basically the part of process in which coding/programming is applied to the problem being solved by the existing or planned application.

The phases of SDLC can vary somewhat but generally include the following:

conceptualization;
requirements and cost/benefits analysis;
detailed specification of the software requirements;
software design;
programming;
testing;
user and technical training; and
maintenance.

There are many methodologies or models that can be used to guide the software development lifecycle either as a core model to the SDLC or as a complementary method. These include:

rapid application development (RAD) (including methods like SCRUM, Agile Software Development & Extreme Programming);
the linear or waterfall model (which was the original SDLC method);
joint application development (JAD);
the iterative model;
the v-model;
the prototyping model;
the fountain model;
the spiral model;
build and fix; and
synchronize-and-stabilize.

While some organizations may attempt to standardize on a single methodology, it is common to find a range of methodologies in place or a few models combined into a hybrid methodology to make the best fit for a particular development project. An enterprise solution for managing the SDLC must support multiple methodologies as well as combinations of methodologies (often deployed across multiple geographic locales with outsourcing or multinational enterprises).

To provide further insight into the software development lifecycle, MKS recommends the following solutions, articles and other resources on this topic.

MKS Integrity: A unified solution for the SDLC and beyond

The flexible, process-centric architecture of MKS Integrity allows organizations to construct repeatable processes and workflows that are uniquely tuned to the development methodologies as deployed in an enterprise to support the software / systems development lifecycle (SDLC). From first requirements to retirement (and every change request in between) MKS Integrity provides superior levels of control, visibility and collaboration. With a common repository for data from throughout the development organization, ‘integration’ challenges disappear – one solution supports the entire SDLC. Management information is mined directly from the daily activities of team members, bubbling up to dashboards, reports and charts displaying metrics and development trends to support management and compliance with corporate and regulatory governance requirements.

The flexible, process-centric architecture of MKS Integrity allows organizations to construct repeatable processes and workflows that are uniquely tuned to the development methodologies as deployed in an enterprise to support the software development lifecycle (SDLC). For organizations that deploy multiple methodologies or unique combinations of methodologies to manage development (i.e. Agile with feature-driven development for one project, Iterative for another and a combination of Spiral and some Scrum for a third), MKS Integrity provides a single, unified platform that can support and manage all of the projects.

MKS Integrity also offers configurable process templates for methodologies including Agile, Waterfall and Iterative (based on best practices) that can help quick-start development and get new projects up and running smoothly. The flexibility of MKS Integrity combined with the available templates translates into rapid deployment and a low total cost of ownership for the solution.

Recommended MKS Resources:

“Changing Application Development Needs”
- A TechRepublic Survey, sponsored by MKS

"MKS Integrity for Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) - Platform Overview and Demonstration"
- A webinar recording provides an overview of the MKS Integrity solution

“Can I Have My Requirements and Test Them Too?”
- A webinar recording outlining the benefits of Requirements Based testing that provides guidance on how your SDLC model can be tailored to reap the benefits of RBT

Other Recommended Resources:

Application Development Trends Magazine
- News and articles on application development trends, intended for software developers for enterprise environments.

Developer.com
- Link directory, technical articles, news, forum, and online books for many programming languages.

Methods And Tools
- Provides free practical knowledge and information on all topics of application development and software engineering.

SD Times
– Print publication and online venue that covers software development trends and practices from the management perspective.