Software Quality

Appendix D: From SDLC to Agile – Processes and Quality Assurance Activities

This chapter is dedicated to the various software development models in current use. This chapter defines the models and the way that quality assurance activities are integrated into the development process. Furthermore, the way the customer's team is involved in the quality assurance process is also discussed. By deciding which models are to be applied, the project leader determines how the project will be carried out.

The SQA function professionals need to be familiar with the various software engineering models in order to be able to fulfill tasks such as preparing a quality plan that is properly integrated into the project plan, providing development teams with professional support to perform quality assurance activities, and following up on the performance of these activities.

Seven models of the software development process are discussed in this chapter:

• Classical software development models
  • The software development life cycle (SDLC) model
  • The prototyping model
  • The spiral model
• The object-oriented methodology
• The incremental delivery model
• The staged models
• The Agile methodology models

The models presented here are not merely alternatives, but could also represent a complementary ways of software development, or refer to different development contexts. Additional material on software development processes can be found in numerous papers and books dealing with software testing. A small sampling ...