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Project Life Cycle Print
Written by Sergei Kostigoff   
Saturday, 15 March 2008

General

informationPurpose: To collect into one place several views of Project Life Cycle.
informationScope: Section above is a collection of Life Cycle related diagrams, which could be used as a reference tool.
acceptStatus: Draft release.
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Glossary and Abbreviations

  • FSM - Firmware Support Manual
  • COM - Computer Operation Manual
  • CPM - Computer Programming Manual
  • DBDD - Database Design Description
  • IDD - Interface Design Description
  • IRS - Interface Requirements Specification
  • OCD - Operational Concept Description
  • PLC - Product (Project) Life Cycle
  • SCOM - Software Center Operator Manual
  • SDD - Software Design Description
  • SDP - Software Development Plan
  • SIOM - Software Input/ Output Manual
  • SIP - Software Installation Plan
  • SPS - Software Product Specification
  • SRS - Software Requirements Specification
  • SSDD - System/ Subsystem Design Description
  • SSS - System/ Subsystem Specification
  • STD - Software Test Description
  • STP - Software Test Plan
  • STR - Software Test Report
  • STrP - Software Transition Plan
  • SUM - Software User Manual
  • SVD - Software Version Description
See US Military MIL-STD-498 standard for further details.

Project Life Cycle

Life Cycle:: Simplified Diagram

A Simplified Life Cycle Diagram is shown on the Figure 1.

Life Cycle:: simplified Diagram
Fig.1: Life Cycle:: Simplified Diagram

There are 4 main Phases in Life Cycle:

  • Analysis,
  • Design,
  • Construction, and
  • Implementation.

Each Phase is divided on a Tasks.

Message of the Simplified Life Cycle Diagram shown on Figure 1 are quite simple:

  • We need to understand that every product (and the Software as well) have phases and steps which it passes during its development and Life Cycle. Each step takes time, and for example, if Business users will change their requirements at the Product Delivery stage, this may fail the whole project, because we may need to change the Software Package (and therefore redo the whole project from scratch). This may cause infinitive time of the product implementation.
  • Another idea is that is we developing new product to replace previous one we need to start work on a Data Conversion (as a separate sub-task) at the requirements definition step to make sure our requirements will fully describe compatibility issues.

Life Cycle:: Simplified V-Model:: Engineering Activities

A Simplified V-Model of the Life Cycle is shown on the Figure 2.

 Life Cycle:: Simplified V-Model:: Engineering Activities
Fig.2: Life Cycle:: Simplified V-Model:: Engineering Activities

Such representation is used to show responsibilities of three different areas of the Engineering Activities:

  1. System Engineering
  2. Software System Engineering
  3. Software System Engineering

On the Simplified V-Model it is shown how Product passed between different areas during its Life Cycle.

Life Cycle:: Processes:: Structure (ISO/IEC 12207)

Description of the Life Cycle Processes is given in ISO/IEC 12207 (Software Lifecycle Process). Processes Structure of the Life Cycle is shown on the Figure 3.

Life Cycle:: Processes:: Structure
Fig.3: Life Cycle:: Processes:: Structure

Processes are grouped into three Groups: 

  1. Main Processes,
  2. Support Processes, and
  3. Organizational Processes.

The picture is a graphical interpretation of Life Cycle related ISO/IEC 12207 Standard.

Life Cycle:: Processes, Roles, Views (ISO/IEC Standard 12207)

Description of the Life Cycle Processes is given in ISO/IEC 12207 (Software Lifecycle Process). See Figure 4 for Life Cycle Processes, Roles, Views Diagram.

Life Cycle:: Processes, Roles, Views
Fig.4: Life Cycle:: Processes, Roles, Views

Figure 4 shows not only list and groups of the Processes, but also relations between them and views of the Processes from different standing points (e.g. Developer, Purchaser, Supplier, User etc.).

On the diagram Figure 4 Employment Relationships between Processes are shown as well.

Life Cycle:: Processes Classification (ISO/IEC 12207)

Software Life Cycle Processes Classification is described in the ISO/IEC 12207 (Software Lifecycle Process). Simplified Classification is shown on the Figure 5.

Life Cycle:: Processes Classification
Fig.5: Life Cycle:: Processes Classification

Life Cycle:: Prototypes, Activities, and Outputs Matrix

Detailed Life Cycle is shown on the Figure 6.

Life Cycle:: Prototypes, Activities, and Outputs Matrix
Fig.6: Life Cycle:: Prototypes, Activities, and Outputs Matrix

See US Military MIL-STD-498 and ISO/IEC 12207 standards for further details.

For better illustration of the inter-process communications and deliveries to be produced there is a matrix of Prototypes, Activities, and Outputs shown over the diagram.

Life Cycle:: Hardware and Software Life Cycle

For the complex development, mutual Hardware and Software Life Cycle is shown on Figure 7.

Life Cycle:: Hardware and Software Life Cycle
Fig.7: Life Cycle:: Hardware and Software Life Cycle

System Engineering Environment include the following processes:

  • Formal Reviews;
  • Product Evaluation;
  • Technical Performance Management;
  • Security / Privacy Management;
  • Interface with ISA;
  • Risk Management;
  • Coordination with associate and sub-contract developers;
  • Training;
  • Work Authorization;
  • Verification / Qualification Planning;
  • Project Control;
  • Data Management;
  • CALS;
  • Compliance recording;
  • Documentation Control;
  • Corrective Actions.

See US MIL-STD-498 and MIL-STD-499 for further details. See also MIL-STD-1521B for System Reviews.

Life Cycle:: The Role of Data Item Descriptions and Software Products

The Role of Data Item descriptions and Software Products is shown on the Figure 8.

Life Cycle:: The Role of Data Item Descriptions and Software Products
Fig.8: Life Cycle:: The Role of Data Item Descriptions and Software Products

In case of complex Hardware and Software development all the Data Items are required. If the Project does not include development of the Hardware Components last list element (Firmware Support Manual, FSM) should be excluded.

Project assume Data Processing Center implementation (for relatively big projects, include servers and/ or mainframes). If your Project does not assume Data Processing Center exclude CIOM, SCOM, COM, and CPM Data Items.

See US Military MIL-STD-498 standard for further details.

Downloads

addDiagrams from the above Diagram Set could be downloaded in Zip format here:
 compressed icon life_cycle_dia.zip
informationDiagrams are created in Dia format. For Unix/Linux users it is a standard diagram drawing software. Windows users can obtain legal GPL-ed copy of Dia from http://dia-installer.de/index_en.html

 

Your Comments

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Regards,
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Sergei

Last Updated ( Saturday, 15 March 2008 )
 
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