SDLC, Software Development Life Cycle is a process used by software in-

dustry to design, develop and test high quality softwares. The SDLC aims
to produce a high quality software that meets or exceeds customer expec-
tations, reaches completion within times and cost estimates.

 SDLC is the acronym of Software Development Life Cycle.

 It is also called as Software development process.

 The software development life cycle (SDLC) is a framework defining tasks per-
formed at each step in the software development process.

 ISO/IEC 12207 is an international standard for software life-cycle processes.

It aims to be the standard that defines all the tasks required for developing
and maintaining software.

What is SDLC?
SDLC is a process followed for a software project, within a software organ-
ization. It consists of a detailed plan describing how to develop, maintain,
replace and alter or enhance specific software. The life cycle defines a
methodology for improving the quality of software and the overall devel-
opment process.

The following figure is a graphical representation of the various stages of

a typical SDLC.

A typical Software Development life cycle consists of the following stages:

Stage 1: Planning and Requirement Analysis
Requirement analysis is the most important and fundamental stage in
SDLC. It is performed by the senior members of the team with inputs from
the customer, the sales department, market surveys and domain experts
in the industry. This information is then used to plan the basic project
approach and to conduct product feasibility study in the economical, oper-
ational, and technical areas.

Planning for the quality assurance requirements and identification of the

risks associated with the project is also done in the planning stage. The
outcome of the technical feasibility study is to define the various technical
approaches that can be followed to implement the project successfully with
minimum risks.

Stage 2: Defining Requirements

Once the requirement analysis is done the next step is to clearly define
and document the product requirements and get them approved from the
customer or the market analysts. This is done through .SRS. . Software
Requirement Specification document which consists of all the product re-
quirements to be designed and developed during the project life cycle.

Stage 3: Designing the product architecture

SRS is the reference for product architects to come out with the best ar-
chitecture for the product to be developed. Based on the requirements
specified in SRS, usually more than one design approach for the product
architecture is proposed and documented in a DDS - Design Document
Specification.

This DDS is reviewed by all the important stakeholders and based on var-
ious parameters as risk assessment, product robustness, design modular-
ity, budget and time constraints , the best design approach is selected for
the product.

A design approach clearly defines all the architectural modules of the prod-
uct along with its communication and data flow representation with the
external and third party modules (if any). The internal design of all the
modules of the proposed architecture should be clearly defined with the
minutest of the details in DDS.
Stage 4: Building or Developing the Product
In this stage of SDLC the actual development starts and the product is
built. The programming code is generated as per DDS during this stage. If
the design is performed in a detailed and organized manner, code gener-
ation can be accomplished without much hassle.

Developers have to follow the coding guidelines defined by their organiza-

tion and programming tools like compilers, interpreters, debuggers etc are
used to generate the code. Different high level programming languages
such as C, C++, Pascal, Java, and PHP are used for coding. The program-
ming language is chosen with respect to the type of software being devel-
oped.

Stage 5: Testing the Product

This stage is usually a subset of all the stages as in the modern SDLC
models, the testing activities are mostly involved in all the stages of SDLC.
However this stage refers to the testing only stage of the product where
products defects are reported, tracked, fixed and retested, until the prod-
uct reaches the quality standards defined in the SRS.

Stage 6: Deployment in the Market and

Maintenance
Once the product is tested and ready to be deployed it is released formally
in the appropriate market. Sometime product deployment happens in
stages as per the organizations. business strategy. The product may first
be released in a limited segment and tested in the real business environ-
ment (UAT- User acceptance testing).

Then based on the feedback, the product may be released as it is or with

suggested enhancements in the targeting market segment. After the prod-
uct is released in the market, its maintenance is done for the existing cus-
tomer base.

SDLC Models
There are various software development life cycle models defined and de-
signed which are followed during software development process. These
models are also referred as "Software Development Process Models". Each
process model follows a Series of steps unique to its type, in order to en-
sure success in process of software development.

Following are the most important and popular SDLC models followed in the
industry:

 Waterfall Model

 Iterative Model

 Spiral Model

 V-Model

 Big Bang Model

The other related methodologies are Agile Model, RAD Model, Rapid Appli-
cation Development and Prototyping Models.

The Waterfall Model was first Process Model to be introduced. It is also referred to as a lin-
ear-sequential life cycle model. It is very simple to understand and use. In a waterfall model,
each phase must be completed before the next phase can begin and there is no overlapping in
the phases.

Waterfall model is the earliest SDLC approach that was used for software development .

The waterfall Model illustrates the software development process in a linear sequential flow;
hence it is also referred to as a linear-sequential life cycle model. This means that any phase
in the development process begins only if the previous phase is complete. In waterfall model
phases do not overlap.

Waterfall Model design

Waterfall approach was first SDLC Model to be used widely in Software Engineering to en-
sure success of the project. In "The Waterfall" approach, the whole process of software devel-
opment is divided into separate phases. In Waterfall model, typically, the outcome of one
phase acts as the input for the next phase sequentially.

Following is a diagrammatic representation of different phases of waterfall model.

The sequential phases in Waterfall model are:

 Requirement Gathering and analysis: All possible requirements of the system to be

developed are captured in this phase and documented in a requirement specification
doc.
 System Design: The requirement specifications from first phase are studied in this
phase and system design is prepared. System Design helps in specifying hardware and
system requirements and also helps in defining overall system architecture.
 Implementation: With inputs from system design, the system is first developed in
small programs called units, which are integrated in the next phase. Each unit is de-
veloped and tested for its functionality which is referred to as Unit Testing.
 Integration and Testing: All the units developed in the implementation phase are in-
tegrated into a system after testing of each unit. Post integration the entire system is
tested for any faults and failures.
 Deployment of system: Once the functional and non functional testing is done, the
product is deployed in the customer environment or released into the market.
 Maintenance: There are some issues which come up in the client environment. To fix
those issues patches are released. Also to enhance the product some better versions
are released. Maintenance is done to deliver these changes in the customer environ-
ment.

All these phases are cascaded to each other in which progress is seen as flowing steadily
downwards (like a waterfall) through the phases. The next phase is started only after the de-
fined set of goals are achieved for previous phase and it is signed off, so the name "Waterfall
Model". In this model phases do not overlap.

Waterfall Model Application

Every software developed is different and requires a suitable SDLC approach to be followed
based on the internal and external factors. Some situations where the use of Waterfall model
is most appropriate are:

 Requirements are very well documented, clear and fixed.

 Product definition is stable.
 Technology is understood and is not dynamic.
 There are no ambiguous requirements.
 Ample resources with required expertise are available to support the product.
 The project is short.

Waterfall Model Pros & Cons

Advantage

The advantage of waterfall development is that it allows for departmentalization and control.
A schedule can be set with deadlines for each stage of development and a product can pro-
ceed through the development process model phases one by one.

Development moves from concept, through design, implementation, testing, installation, trou-
bleshooting, and ends up at operation and maintenance. Each phase of development proceeds
in strict order.

Disadvantage

The disadvantage of waterfall development is that it does not allow for much reflection or re-
vision. Once an application is in the testing stage, it is very difficult to go back and change
something that was not well-documented or thought upon in the concept stage.

The following table lists out the pros and cons of Waterfall model:

Pros Cons

 Simple and easy to understand  No working software is produced until late

and use during the life cycle.
 Easy to manage due to the rigid-  High amounts of risk and uncertainty.
ity of the model . each phase has  Not a good model for complex and object-
specific deliverables and a re- oriented projects.
view process.  Poor model for long and ongoing projects.
 Phases are processed and com-  Not suitable for the projects where require-
pleted one at a time. ments are at a moderate to high risk of
 Works well for smaller projects changing. So risk and uncertainty is high
where requirements are very well with this process model.
understood.  It is difficult to measure progress within
 Clearly defined stages. stages.
 Well understood milestones.  Cannot accommodate changing require-
 Easy to arrange tasks. ments.
  Process and results are well doc-  Adjusting scope during the life cycle can
umented. end a project.
 Integration is done as a "big-bang. at the
very end, which doesn't allow identifying
any technological or business bottleneck or
challenges early.
 z

In Iterative model, iterative process starts with a simple implementation of a small set of the
software requirements and iteratively enhances the evolving versions until the complete sys-
tem is implemented and ready to be deployed.

An iterative life cycle model does not attempt to start with a full specification of require-
ments. Instead, development begins by specifying and implementing just part of the software,
which is then reviewed in order to identify further requirements. This process is then re-
peated, producing a new version of the software at the end of each iteration of the model.

Iterative Model design

Iterative process starts with a simple implementation of a subset of the software requirements
and iteratively enhances the evolving versions until the full system is implemented. At each
iteration, design modifications are made and new functional capabilities are added. The basic
idea behind this method is to develop a system through repeated cycles (iterative) and in
smaller portions at a time (incremental).

Following is the pictorial representation of Iterative and Incremental model:

Iterative and Incremental development is a combination of both iterative design or iterative

method and incremental build model for development. "During software development, more
than one iteration of the software development cycle may be in progress at the same time."
and "This process may be described as an "evolutionary acquisition" or "incremental build"
approach."
In incremental model the whole requirement is divided into various builds. During each itera-
tion, the development module goes through the requirements, design, implementation and
testing phases. Each subsequent release of the module adds function to the previous release.
The process continues till the complete system is ready as per the requirement.

The key to successful use of an iterative software development lifecycle is rigorous validation
of requirements, and verification & testing of each version of the software against those re-
quirements within each cycle of the model. As the software evolves through successive cy-
cles, tests have to be repeated and extended to verify each version of the software.

Iterative Model Application

Like other SDLC models, Iterative and incremental development has some specific applica-
tions in the software industry. This model is most often used in the following scenarios:

 Requirements of the complete system are clearly defined and understood.

 Major requirements must be defined; however, some functionalities or requested en-
hancements may evolve with time.
 There is a time to the market constraint.
 A new technology is being used and is being learnt by the development team while
working on the project.
 Resources with needed skill set are not available and are planned to be used on con-
tract basis for specific iterations.
 There are some high risk features and goals which may change in the future.

Iterative Model Pros and Cons

The advantage of this model is that there is a working model of the system at a very early
stage of development which makes it easier to find functional or design flaws. Finding issues
at an early stage of development enables to take corrective measures in a limited budget.

The disadvantage with this SDLC model is that it is applicable only to large and bulky soft-
ware development projects. This is because it is hard to break a small software system into
further small serviceable increments/modules.

The following table lists out the pros and cons of Iterative and Incremental SDLC Model:

Pros Cons

 Some working functionality can be  More resources may be required.

developed quickly and early in the life  Although cost of change is lesser but
cycle. it is not very suitable for changing re-
 Results are obtained early and periodi- quirements.
cally.  More management attention is re-
 Parallel development can be planned. quired.
 Progress can be measured.  System architecture or design issues
 Less costly to change the scope/re- may arise because not all require-
quirements. ments are gathered in the beginning of
the entire life cycle.
  Testing and debugging during smaller  Defining increments may require defi-
iteration is easy. nition of the complete system.
 Risks are identified and resolved dur-  Not suitable for smaller projects.
ing iteration; and each iteration is an  Management complexity is more.
easily managed milestone.  End of project may not be known
 Easier to manage risk - High risk part which is a risk.
is done first.  Highly skilled resources are required
 With every increment operational for risk analysis.
product is delivered.  Project.s progress is highly dependent
 Issues, challenges & risks identified upon the risk analysis phase.
from each increment can be uti-
lized/applied to the next increment.
 Risk analysis is better.
 It supports changing requirements.
 Initial Operating time is less.
 Better suited for large and mission-
critical projects.
 During life cycle software is produced
early which facilitates customer eval-
uation and feedback.

The spiral model combines the idea of iterative development with the systematic, controlled
aspects of the waterfall model.

Spiral model is a combination of iterative development process model and sequential linear
development model i.e. waterfall model with very high emphasis on risk analysis.

It allows for incremental releases of the product, or incremental refinement through each iter-
ation around the spiral.

Spiral Model design

The spiral model has four phases. A software project repeatedly passes through these phases
in iterations called Spirals.

 Identification:This phase starts with gathering the business requirements in the base-
line spiral. In the subsequent spirals as the product matures, identification of system
requirements, subsystem requirements and unit requirements are all done in this
phase.

This also includes understanding the system requirements by continuous communica-

tion between the customer and the system analyst. At the end of the spiral the product
is deployed in the identified market.
  Design:Design phase starts with the conceptual design in the baseline spiral and in-
volves architectural design, logical design of modules, physical product design and
final design in the subsequent spirals.
 Construct or Build:Construct phase refers to production of the actual software prod-
uct at every spiral. In the baseline spiral when the product is just thought of and the
design is being developed a POC (Proof of Concept) is developed in this phase to get
customer feedback.

Then in the subsequent spirals with higher clarity on requirements and design details a
working model of the software called build is produced with a version number. These
builds are sent to customer for feedback.

 Evaluation and Risk Analysis:Risk Analysis includes identifying, estimating, and

monitoring technical feasibility and management risks, such as schedule slippage and
cost overrun. After testing the build, at the end of first iteration, the customer evalu-
ates the software and provides feedback.

Following is a diagrammatic representation of spiral model listing the activities in each

phase:

Based on the customer evaluation, software development process enters into the next iteration
and subsequently follows the linear approach to implement the feedback suggested by the
customer. The process of iterations along the spiral continues throughout the life of the soft-
ware.

Spiral Model Application

Spiral Model is very widely used in the software industry as it is in synch with the natural de-
velopment process of any product i.e. learning with maturity and also involves minimum risk
for the customer as well as the development firms. Following are the typical uses of Spiral
model:

 When costs there is a budget constraint and risk evaluation is important.

 For medium to high-risk projects.
 Long-term project commitment because of potential changes to economic priorities as
the requirements change with time.
 Customer is not sure of their requirements which is usually the case.
 Requirements are complex and need evaluation to get clarity.
 New product line which should be released in phases to get enough customer feed-
back.
 Significant changes are expected in the product during the development cycle.

Spiral Model Pros and Cons

The advantage of spiral lifecycle model is that it allows for elements of the product to be
added in when they become available or known. This assures that there is no conflict with
previous requirements and design.

This method is consistent with approaches that have multiple software builds and releases
and allows for making an orderly transition to a maintenance activity. Another positive aspect
is that the spiral model forces early user involvement in the system development effort.

On the other side, it takes very strict management to complete such products and there is a
risk of running the spiral in indefinite loop. So the discipline of change and the extent of tak-
ing change requests is very important to develop and deploy the product successfully.

The following table lists out the pros and cons of Spiral SDLC Model:

Pros Cons

 Changing requirements can be accom-  Management is more complex.

modated.  End of project may not be known
 Allows for extensive use of prototypes early.
 Requirements can be captured more  Not suitable for small or low risk pro-
accurately. jects and could be expensive for small
 Users see the system early. projects.
 Development can be divided into  Process is complex
smaller parts and more risky parts can  Spiral may go indefinitely.
be developed earlier which helps bet-  Large number of intermediate stages
ter risk management. requires excessive documentation.