Development life cycle system functions

Gourav Ajay

Department of information technology, Salem University

IT550 Information Technology Architecture and Security

Dr. Weifeng Chen

Due date 10/22/2023

Introduction:

The development life cycle system functions are crucial processes that are utilized in

order to produce quality software or technology products that are geared towards meeting user

requirements. These functions, also known as the software development process or system

development life cycle (SDLC), include planning, designing, building, and testing. (Global, n.d.)

The first function of the development life cycle system is planning.

It is during this phase that the team or developer(s) outline the problem or requirement

and identify the goals, objectives, and resources that will be needed to create the desired product.

Planning involves conducting a feasibility study, determining the budget, and identifying both

technical and non-technical risks. Essentially, planning assists the developers to create a project

plan and set realistic expectations for the software development process. (Alexander S. Gillis,

n.d.)

The second function is designing.

During this stage, the design of the software or technology product is established. The

developers use the information gathered during the planning phase to create a design that targets

achieving a specific requirement. Designing involves creating blueprints of the system,

reviewing the design architecture and identifying the software architecture source code

components. The design phase is, without a doubt, a crucial part of the product development

process. It helps to create a well-grounded plan that developers can utilize during the

programming phase. (Alexander S. Gillis, n.d.)

The third function of the development life cycle system is programming.

During this phase, the developer(s) begin to write the software code that will bring the

product to life. This phase typically involves starting with a basic framework, implementation of

the code, debugging, unit testing, interface development, and documentation. The programming

phase is the part where developers build the software or technology according to the structure or

blueprint created during the designing phase.

The fourth and final function is testing.

Having created and written the software or technology, testing is the phase where the

product is analyzed in order to ensure that it meets all the necessary requirements and works

correctly. This phase includes rigorous testing of individual components and the overall system

to ascertain that they meet quality, performance, and reliability requirements. As much as

development timelines can be met, it is important to note that errors and bugs may remain in the

system. Testing ensures that these errors and bugs are identified and corrected before release or

deployment of the system to the customer or end-user. (Alexander S. Gillis, n.d.)

Conclusion- The development life cycle system functions are critical components that provide

critical guidance and a framework for creating quality software or technology products. Each

function outlined above is essential and interdependent on the preceding phase in order to

achieve the end result, a quality technology product geared towards meeting the needs of the

end-users. Adoption of this cycle ensures that the product is not released with many defects, thus

reducing the costs involved in releasing a poor-quality product.

 References

Charter Global. (January 13, 2020). What are the 5 phases in the Software Development Life

Cycle (SDLC)?

https://www.charterglobal.com/what-are-the-5-phases-in-the-software-

TechTarget. (May 24, 2021). Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC).

https://www.techtarget.com/searchsoftwarequality/definition/systems-development-life-cycle