Review Website:

James R. Sabo

Homework 1a

Overview

Waterfall Model

Waterfall Model consists of 5 stages:

• Requirements analysis and definition
• System and software design
• Implementation and unit testing
• System testing
• Operation and maintenance

Strengths:

• Very structured
• Simple
• Inexpensive
• Easy to manage

Weaknesses:

• Increases in cost-to-fix
• Customer must have patience
• Difficult for customer to state all requirements explicitly
• Each stage must be completed before moving on

Appropriate domain:

• Smaller systems
• Validation and verification are constant
• Short-term software

Inappropriate domain:

• Changes prior to completion
• Long-term software
• Object-oriented system

Background material:

• Proposed by W.W. Royce, 1970
• Derived from engineering models
• Basis of many other models

Related tools and methodologies:

• CASE software

Spiral Model

Spiral model consists of 4 segments:

• Segment One, Objective Setting
• Segment Two, Risk Assessment and Reduction
• Segment Three, Development and Validation
• Segment Four, Planning

Strengths:

• Unacceptable risks are uncovered before project completion
• Lots of documentation produced at each segment
• Many teams working concurrently

Weaknesses:

• Not widely accepted
• Not well suited for small projects
• Poor risk identification

Appropriate domain:

• Large project
• Long-term software application

Inappropriate domain:

• Small project
• Short-term software application

Background material:

• Proposed by Berry Boehm, 1998
• Great improvement from previous models
• Incorporate different development processes through separate iterations

Related tools and methodologies:

• CASE software

Comparison of the Waterfall and Spiral Model:

• Waterfall model is preferable when the customer know what they want
• Spiral model is suitable for projects that require changes.

Questions and Comments

1. Where are the methodologies for Waterfall and Spiral Model?
2. Overall is good.

Homework 2

Overview

Client/Server is computer architecture involving client processes requesting service from server processes. Interaction of Client/Server is server send out an advertisement of services to network. Then client machines can logon to their appropriate server. Next, users request queries and send them to server. Lastly, the server sends the result back to clients or users.

Type of Client/Server:

• Two-tiered Model
• Three-tiered Model

 Example network operating system:

• AppleShare
• LANtastic
• Microsoft Windows for Workgroups
• Microsoft Windows NT Server
• Novell NetWare

Examples of Network Management Protocols:

• SNMP - Simple Network Management Protocol
• MIB - Management Information Base

Relationships between Client/Server and Spiral and Waterfall Lifecycles:

• Spiral model is the best suited lifecycle because different groups have different tasks to do and they can start working at the same time.
• Waterfall model can be suited when the complexities of the architecture need to be known in detail in advance.

Appropriate uses:

• File-sharing and print-sharing for multi-user networks
• Centralized administration of applications

Inappropriate uses:

• Single user environment
• No communication needed between client and server

Questions and Comments

1. Overall is very good and detail.
2. Why don't you draw put your two-tiered model diagram and three-tiered model diagram in the same page? They do not work in some places.

Homework 4

Overview

FAST

Facilitated Applications Specification Technique is a system of gathering requirements that alleviates misunderstands and ensures that all relevant information is included.

Generally applied during early stages of analysis and specification.

Strengths:

• To clarify misunderstandings between the client and the engineer
• The client has a constant voice in the development process

Weakness:

• Lead to inconvenience resulted from the close relationship of the client and the engineer which causes tension
• Both parties must meet cordially which is necessary to carry out the FAST process

Appropriate domain:

• Requirement and specification is not clear

Inappropriate domain:

• Short timeline
• All parties cannot meet together

Example:

• Joint Application Development
• METHOD

QFD

Quality Function Deployment is a system to lower the cost of productivity and improve quality.

An overall concept that provides a means of translating customer requirements into appropriate technical specification.

Strengths:

• The quality of the product is increased and the cost is decreased
• Customer orientated
• Provides visualbility

Weaknesses:

• The available literature is simplified to the degree that its usefulness is negligible

Appropriate domain:

• Customers have a vague idea of the wants and needs

Inappropriate domain:

• Customers wish to have their hands in every stage

Example:

• Toyota
• Mitshubishi Heavy Industries uses in their Kobe shipyards

Questions and Comments

1. How does Toyota implement the QFD? A brief explanation will help.
2. What are Joint Application Development and METHOD? Please explain.

Project 1

Overview

This group is producing a software called Personal Stock Portfolio tracking System (PSPTS). This software will access a personal stock portfolio on a day-to-day basis. Their clients are only a small investor. The PSPTS will save their clients’ time to search through the paper for their particular stock(s) or their wait for the quarterly dividend report. Their proposed system is allows small investors to have a more convenient method to manage their stock portfolio from home base on day-to-day basis.

Questions and Comments

1. Will the PSPTS really remove the brokers because your target clients are only small investor?
2. Will the software really help the small investors? Here is the condition, what if the stock(s) drop suddenly during the day and the users of PSPTS do not know that incident because the stock market has not closed yet. In this condition, the PSPTS will show previous closing value but not the real-time value.
3. I think this software will not the users very much because the value of the stock(s) will be shown is exactly the same as shown in newspapers. If the drop of the stock(s) is extreme, the PSPTS will cause the users to face bankruptcy. To me, I think it is better to have a broker to watch the stock rather than check my own portfolio base on day-to-day basis unless this is a real-time market listing software. My reason is "tomorrow is unpredictable."
4. Do you think scanner is necessary? Why don't you ask the users to input their invested stock(s) themselves? My reason is that the PSPTS only needs four data for each stock. I don't think many users want to spend more so that they can run the PSPTS software for their investment.
5. For more real-time stock exchange concept, please to go this website: http://www.wallstreetsports.com/

Project 3

Overview

Useful items:

• Group management
• Platform portability
• Time scheduling

Manual Project Management:

• In Gnatt charts, timeline is always visible.
• Intuitive for people without computer knowledge.
• However, there is no ability to store data.

Comparison of the Microsoft Project with Manual Project Management

Microsoft Project allows:

• Easier scheduling
• Automatic projection of Gnatt charts.

Question and Comments

1. When is the time that we should use Microsoft Project 98 instead of the Manual Project Management?
2. What other characteristics that Microsoft Project 98 has to increase easier scheduling?