- Requirements. Encompasses definition,
statement of objectives, preliminary analysis, functional
specifications, design constraints.
- Design. Includes outline
definition, format definition, etc.
- Implementation. Entails writing,
editing, integration of various components, and
proofing.
- Testing. Includes verification
and evaluation against the requirements.
- Use
and Maintenance. Begins upon delivery and user
acceptance.
The
maintenance process can be divided into the following
steps:
- ___
Determination of need for change
- ___
Submission of change request
- ___
Review of proposed changes
- ___
Requirements analysis
- ___
Approval/rejection of change request
- ___
Scheduling of task(s)
- ___
Design analysis and review
- ___
Writing and editing
- ___
Testing
- ___
Standards audit
- ___
User acceptance
The
process of changing documentation is frequently
complex and may involve many people. The steps
above outline the maintenance process which begins when the
need for change arises and ends after the user accepts the
modifications.
Although the maintenance process above is
presented as linear, there are many steps and iterative
loops. For example, the change
request may need clarification; the design
reviews may require more analysis; the
standards audit may require design changes
and rewriting; the users may fail to accept the results;
etc.
The
Maintainer must make changes within the context of the
existing documentation, often the most challenging
problem for maintenance people. The older the documentation,
the more challenging and time consuming the maintenance
effort.
A
maintenance effort is typically performed in less
time than a development effort.
So,
while ...
- a
development effort may span several
months ...
- corrective maintenance may be required
within hours and ...
- perfective maintenance is typically
performed in cycles of 1-6 months.
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