SDLC Intro

Systems Development Life Cycle, or SDLC, is the entire process of building, deploying, using, and updating an information system (Object-Oriented Analysis and Design with the Unified Process – Satzinger, Jackson, and Burd). It is a conceptual model that is used in project management and describes the stages that are comprised within an information system. One of the oldest models of SDLC is the Waterfall Approach. It is a series of junctures in which the output of each juncture becomes the input for the next. The 7 phases involved in this model are Project Planning, Systems Analysis, Systems Design, Implementation, Integration/Testing, Deployment, and Maintenance. Project Planning establishes the objectives and goals of the intended project. It also determines how to accomplish the project in the best possible way. Systems Analysis filters project goals into well-defined functions and operation of the intended project. This phase analyzes end-user information needs. Systems Design defines desired features and operations in detail. It includes screen layouts, business rules, process diagrams, pseudo code and other documentation. Implementation deals with the actual development of the system where it is built and programmed. Integration/Testing is the phase where the system is put into test. It is checked for errors, bugs, and interoperability. Deployment Phase is the final stage of the initial development. The system is carried out and put into production. The last phase, the Maintenance phase, is the most important of all and seemingly goes on forever. This is where you adapt the system to changing requirements, changing programs and procedures, and documentation. The waterfall method is well understood, however, the researchers will use the Iteration Method utilizing the Unified Process Model (UP Model). The UP Model includes phases through