In system design, software developers use the life cycle model to describe all the stages of the project management process, from commencement to completion. The system life cycle is responsible for bringing a project to life. The life cycle, synonymous with the design process and its output, has major system stages, although some differences exist between the waterfall, spiral, and VEE models.
Major System Life Cycle Stages
Developing a project from an initial idea to its operationalization and maintenance in the later stages involves several stages. The first stage in the design is planning. The stage involves determining the need for the system to be developed and the problems it is likely to solve. Regarding meeting the users’ needs, development costs, and estimated revenue likely to be generated, its feasibility is ascertained at this stage (Shafiq et al., 2021). Once sufficient planning takes place, it moves to the analysis stage. At this stage, the requirements and specifications for the design are ascertained. To warrant that the project sticks to the specifications of the requirements, the developer should develop a Software Requirement Specification document.
The third stage is design, which involves the creation of a prototype that will aid the developers in envisioning the end product. The fundamental ideas, including details such as the system design and security features, are drafted in a software design document. The stage is followed by development, where the application is created following the plan and the pre-established stipulations. The system subsequently moves to the testing stage where, in a bid to ensure it matches the required quality, defects and bugs that are likely to hamper users’ experience are noted and corrected. Once proven free from defects, it moves to the implementation and integration stage, where it is incorporated into its operational environment.
Further defects may be identified and corrected at this stage. Once the software is operational, the final stage is the maintenance stage, where users’ concerns are addressed to enhance their experience with the software. Besides, bugs and defects unnoticeable in the previous stages are unearthed and patched.
Differences between Waterfall, Spiral, and VEE Models
The waterfall model is sequential and is characterized by a breakdown of the system development process into pre-established stages. The stages do not since each step must be completed before the commencement of the next (Laraswati & Supriyatna, 2021). In contrast, the spiral approach is a methodical and repetitive model taking the spiral form. Each iterative in the model denotes a software development stage. Besides the two is the V-Model, which resembles the waterfall. The system design process is broken down into several stages. However, each stage in the process is linked with a testing stage. In the waterfall model, defects and risks are identified and corrected later in the design process. However, the spiral model’s defects and risks were unearthed and rectified earlier. In the V-Model, the identification and subsequent rectification are undertaken after each stage (Akinsola et al., 2020). Overall, the waterfall model is cheaper than the other two and preferable for small projects.
Major System Design Processes and Their Outputs
System design is a vital process that entails a range of processes. Among them is the requirements analysis, whose primary output is the System Requirement Specification document. The second step is designing the system architecture design, whose output is a detailed system architecture illustration. The likely output for the data design process can be a data flow chart diagram. Another process is developing the security design, whose output is a security architecture detailing the comprehensive security arrangements. For the preparation of the backup and recovery plan, the primary output is the backup and recovery master plan. In contrast, in the design of the maintenance design process, the core output is a protocol for the maintenance undertaken and a system for tracking bugs and defects.
Conclusion
The primary system life cycle stages include planning, analysis, design, development, testing, implementation and integration, and maintenance. Although the sequence differs, all these stages are prevalent in the waterfall, spiral, and VEE models. The outputs for the analysis, design, development, backup and recovery plan, and maintenance are the System Requirement Specification document, system architecture illustration and data flow chart diagram, security architecture, backup and recovery master plan, maintenance protocol, and bugs and defects tracking system.
References
Akinsola, J. E., Ogunbanwo, A. S., Okesola, O. J., Odun-Ayo, I. J., Ayegbusi, F. D., & Adebiyi, A. A. (2020). Comparative analysis of software development life cycle models (SDLC). In Intelligent Algorithms in Software Engineering: Proceedings of the 9th Computer Science On-line Conference 2020, Volume 1.9 (pp. 310-322). Springer International Publishing.
Laraswati, D., & Supriyatna, A. (2021). The use of waterfall model in application design web-based Maryam department store. Jurnal Teknologi dan Open Source, 4(1), 37-47.
Shafiq, S., Mashkoor, A., Mayr-Dorn, C., & Egyed, A. (2021). A literature review of using machine learning in software development life cycle stages. IEEE Access, 9(C), 140896-140920.
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