Software Reliability Techniques for Real-World Applications

4Project Phases

We have been considering a project as a whole, but now we consider specific tasks by the phase of the project in which they are typically performed. By doing this, it is hoped that it will be easier to recognize how the material covered in the previous chapters can be applied to a given project.

4.1 Introduction to Project Phases

Projects are typically segmented into sequences of activities that we will call phases, although others use terms such as stages, increments, or sprints. There are a variety of ways to divide a project into phases. For example, Chapter 14 of [1] defines the software life cycle as consisting of five consecutive phases: the analysis, design, coding, testing, and operation phases, whereas Chapter 32 of the same source lists the following: defining the user requirements, defining the software requirements, defining the architectural design, detailed design and production of code, transfer of the software to operations, and finally operations and maintenance. For our purposes, we use the following phase divisions:

1. Concept Development and Planning
2. Requirements and Interfaces
3. Design and Coding
4. Integration, Verification, and Validation
5. Product Production and Release
6. Operation and Maintenance

We also include a section on project management. This list of phases is not meant to imply any particular software development process or project management approach, and it is recognized that there is usually a considerable overlap in these phases. ...