1.

264 Lecture 1

Course introduction
Homework 1
Software development methods
 Topics

• Software development: rapid development methods

– Used to configure and modify existing software also
• Data modeling and databases
– Ensure correctness of data, allow sharing, support software
• Web development
– Html, XML, http, Java, security. Middleware, integration
• Middleware
– System interfaces, connections between databases and
applications
• Networks
– Technologies, protocols, standards
• (No hardware architecture or Windows development
units as in the past)
 Homework (project)

• Work in teams of two (1 and 3 allowed by

exception)
– Choose your partner this week. Ask TA to match you if
you don’t find a partner.
• Build a set of systems for an aircraft maintenance
company
– First cycle of ‘spiral model’ of software development
– Take 3 months to specify, design, prototype and assess
• And learn about all these technologies
– After this first cycle, you could then build an operational
system
• Even your prototype would almost be ok for a very small
scale operation
 Homeworks

1. Requirements
2. Data and UML models (Visio)
3. Database (MS Access)
4. Web site design (FrontPage)
5. Web middleware (XML, SOAP, WSDL, UDDI)
6. Dynamic Web site (FrontPage, IIS, Access)
7. Network design and capacity, and software
process

(No Windows development homework as in past)

 Readings
• Set of 4 primary books used in the class (McConnell Rapid
Development, Fowler UML Distilled, Bowman SQL Handbook,
Green Handbook of Telecom)
– Each member of team can buy 2
– Use short-term loan copies or share with other teams for the
remaining books, which are references (Access, Web, FrontPage)

• Readings are intended to introduce you to each area and to be a

reference for future work
– You can skim many of the assigned readings, rather than read in
depth
– Many of the chapters are reference materials
• Read as necessary to do the homeworks and learn the basic concepts
• Software development relies on making no major mistakes!
– You don’t have to do anything perfectly or optimally but you can’t
make any major mistakes. That’s why we cover many topics, to
make sure you’ve seen it at least once
 Readings

• Rapid Development. Standard reference for ‘Net

development
• UML Distilled. Standard reference for modeling
• Special Edition: Using Access2000. Reference for
homework only
• Practical SQL Handbook. Standard reference
• How to Set Up and Maintain a Web Site. Good
reference if unfamiliar with Web. Becoming dated.
• FrontPage2000 Complete Reference. Homework only.
• Telecom Handbook. Standard reference
• Configuration and Capacity Planning for Solaris…
Useful reference but becoming dated. Complex. Not
covered this year.
• Online readings for many Web topics
 Course computers

• Register for 1.264 on Stellar, which will have:

– Lecture notes, posted after lecture (PowerPoint slides)
– Homeworks and online readings
– Announcements
• Course computers will have:
– MS Visio 2002
– MS Access 2000
– MS FrontPage 2000
• Two Web servers (MS IIS) will be used for the
Web sites
 Course requirements

• Homeworks are 70% of grade

– Late homeworks lose 20% up to 2 days late; 100% otherwise
– We will adjust homework due date if it conflicts with other
MLog, MEng crisis points, or if we have computer problems
• Final exam is 30% of grade
• Focus of class is hands-on learning through the
homeworks
– Homeworks must have reasonable organization, grammar,
spelling
– Perform limited test on the database, Web site
• TA may run your database queries or Web site against slightly
different data to check it
• No need for error checking, input validity checking, etc.
 Aircraft maintenance company

PC PC

Homework 2 Orders Inquiries

(UML)
Homework 1

Homework 5 (middleware) Internet Homework 7

Homework 4 Web server Windows apps

Homework 6
(db-Web svr)

Homework 2 Homework 3
(data model) Database (database)
 Aircraft maintenance company

• Take maintenance orders for aircraft and aircraft

engines
• Database of US aircraft used as customer
database
– 410,000 aircraft in full database; 12,000 in New England
• Database of aircraft models, engines
– Use a subset of supported models, engines maintained
by your company
• You’ll see some problems in the actual data due
to poor data modeling, as in past years
Data
 Process

• Customer places maintenance service order via

Internet
– You must check if aircraft, engine are supported
– Check if resources (labor) available on requested date
– Calculate total price, including tax
– Accept payment information
 Additional Web features

• Marketing information
• Feedback
• Service descriptions
• Aircraft, engine data
• Order inquiry
 A quick quiz

• What percentage of large projects have excess schedule

pressure?
– 25% 50% 75% 100%
• What percentage of small projects have excess schedule
pressure?
– 25% 50% 75% 100%
• What percentage of large projects deliver on time and on budget?
– 25% 50% 75% 100%
• What percentage of large projects are cancelled or fail to deliver at
all?
– 25% 50% 75% 100%
• What staff increase is necessary to speed up a schedule by 25%?
– 25% 50% 75% 100%
• How much are resource needs reduced by cutting project scope in
half?
– 25% 50% 75% 100%
• How much have companies reduced time to market through better
software practices?
– 25% 50% 75% 100%
 Answers to a quick quiz

• What percentage of large projects have excess schedule

pressure?
– 25% 50% 75% 100%
• What percentage of small projects have excess schedule
pressure?
– 25% 50% 75% 100%
• What percentage of large projects deliver on time and on budget?
– 25% 50% 75% 100%
• What percentage of large projects are cancelled or fail to deliver at
all?
– 25% 50% 75% 100%
• What staff increase is necessary to speed up a schedule by 25%?
– 25% 50% 75% 100%
• How much are resource needs reduced by cutting project scope in
half?
– 25% 50% 75% 100%
• How much have companies reduced time to market through better
software practices?
– 25% 50% 75% 100%
 Software development process

• Software development is often more demanding

than consulting or analysis
– Software process has applications and lessons for
project management more generally
– Software cannot be built the night before, like reports
– Software can’t be downscoped at the last minute, with
chapters or analyses simply left out, or done very
simply
• Case studies in McConnell (Rapid Development)
will be our focus
– Software development process is otherwise a very
boring topic