The project manager's guide to software engineering's best practices

Title:

Personal Author:

Christensen, Mark J.

Publication Information:

Los Alamitos, Calif. : IEEE Computer Society, 2001

ISBN:

9780769511993

Subject Term:

Software engineering

Added Author:

Thayer, Richard H.

Available:*

Library	Item Barcode	Call Number	Material Type	Item Category 1	Status
Searching... PSZ JB	30000004809335	QA76.758 C52 2001	Open Access Book	Book	Searching... Unknown

Since the earliest days of the computer industry, managing a software project has been a complex and demanding activity. While the technical content of software products and the technical methods used to build them have changed over time, the fundamental issues that determine the success or failure of software projects have remain fairly constant. That is, the same fundamental management mistakes continue to be made. To cite a few examples; requirements are unclear at the beginning of projects and are not managed during the project, the product is not tested adequately, schedules are misestimated or not tracked in sufficient detail. The contents of this book, together with the underlying IEEE Standards, are dedicated to helping the reader in their work: The continuing quest to produce quality software products in a predictable manner.

This book, containing all original material, is based on the proposition that the IEEE Software Engineering Standards capture many of the fundamental 'best practices' of software project management. It is written to assist the reader in applying those standards to their projects and company. To meet this goal, the authors discuss and elaborate the standards that bear on the three key management areas of: Software systems engineering, Processes for developing software products, Planning and control of software project activities.

The body of the book is correspondingly organized into three parts. Software Systems Engineering, which argues that software development projects are most successful when developed using a systems level viewpoint. Process Management and Control, which describes the key activities needed to define, support, and manage a project's software development processes. Project Planning and Management completes the book, integrating the elements of cost and schedule estimation and control, risk management, and the role metrics play in performing those tasks.

Author Notes

Mark J. Christensen, Ph.D., is an independent consultant based in St. Charles, Illinois, USA. Dr. Christensen serves a national client base, offering process and project evaluation services, and project management training. His customers include industrial, governmental, and academic organizations.
Dr. Christensen is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the IEEE Computer Society (IEEE CS). He chairs the Press Operations Committee of the Computer Society. He is co-author with Dr. Richard Thayer of an upcoming book (1st Quarter 2002) describing how to apply the IEEE Software Engineering Standards to the Management of software projects.
He holds a BS degree in physics and mathematics from Wayne State University and an MS in physics from Purdue, where he was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow. His doctorate from Wayne State is in probability theory.

Richard H. Thayer, Ph.D., is consultant in the field of software engineering and project management. Prior to this hew was a Professor of Software Engineering at California State University, Sacramento, California, United States of America. Dr. Thayer travels widely where he consults and lectures on software engineering, project management, software engineering standards, software requirements engineering, and software quality assurance. He is a Visiting Researcher and Lecturer at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland. His technical interests lay in software project management and software engineering standards.
Dr. Thayer is a Fellow of the IEEE, a member of the IEEE Computer Society, and the IEEE Software Engineering Standards Committee. He is a principle author for a Standard for a Concept of Operations (ConOps) document (IEEE std 1362-1998) and a principle author of the Standard for Software project Management Plans (IEEE std 1058-1998).
He is also an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) where he served on the AIAA Technical Committee on Computer Systems, and he is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). He is also a registered professional engineer.
He holds a BSEE degree and an MS degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana (1962) and a Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara (1979) each in Electrical Engineering.

Foreword	p. ix
Preface	p. xi
Acknowledgements	p. xiii
Reviewers	p. xv
I Software Systems Engineering	p. 1
1 Software Systems Engineering	p. 5
1.1 Introduction	p. 5
1.2 Objectives	p. 6
1.3 Systems Engineering Concepts	p. 7
1.4 Software Systems Engineering	p. 12
1.5 Software Requirements Analysis	p. 19
1.6 Software Design	p. 24
1.7 Process Planning	p. 27
1.8 Process Control	p. 30
1.9 Verification, Validation, and Testing	p. 33
1.10 Summary	p. 38
Applicable Standards	p. 38
Additional References	p. 39
2 Concept of Operations	p. 41
2.1 Introduction	p. 41
2.2 Objectives	p. 42
2.3 ConOps Purposes, Roles, Content, and Format	p. 43
2.4 Developing the ConOps	p. 46
2.5 Maintaining the ConOps	p. 60
2.6 Summary	p. 60
Applicable Standards	p. 61
Additional References	p. 61
3 Software Requirements Specification	p. 63
3.1 Introduction	p. 63
3.2 Objectives	p. 65
3.3 Purposes of Software Requirements	p. 66
3.4 Categories of Requirements	p. 71
3.5 Requirements Development Process	p. 77
3.6 Expressing Requirements	p. 86
3.7 Managing the SRS: Product and Processes	p. 89
3.8 Summary	p. 90
Applicable Standards	p. 92
Additional References	p. 92
4 Software User Documentation	p. 95
4.1 Introduction	p. 95
4.2 Objectives	p. 95
4.3 Uses and Forms of User Documentation	p. 96
4.4 Developing Software User Documents	p. 100
4.5 Structure and Content of a Software User Document	p. 104
4.6 Producing Software User Documents	p. 104
4.7 Summary	p. 110
Applicable Standards	p. 111
Additional References	p. 111
5 Software Verification and Validation	p. 113
5.1 Introduction	p. 113
5.2 Objectives	p. 115
5.3 Verification and Validation Concepts and Examples	p. 115
5.4 Defining the Objectives	p. 121
5.5 Validation and Verification Tasks Mapped to the Software Life Cycle	p. 131
5.6 Creating the SVVP	p. 138
5.7 Summary	p. 145
Applicable Standards	p. 145
Additional References	p. 146
6 Software Maintenance	p. 149
6.1 Introduction	p. 149
6.2 Objectives	p. 149
6.3 Software Maintenance	p. 150
6.4 The Seven Phases of Software Maintenance	p. 161
6.5 Summary	p. 172
Applicable Standards	p. 172
Additional References	p. 172
II Process Management and Control	p. 175
7 Software Life Cycle Process Management	p. 179
7.1 Introduction	p. 179
7.2 Objectives	p. 184
7.3 Software Life Cycle Models and Processes	p. 184
7.4 Selecting a Software Life Cycle Model	p. 195
7.5 Creating the Life Cycle Processes	p. 197
7.6 Implementing and Managing the Software Life Cycle Process	p. 202
7.7 Summary	p. 206
Applicable Standards	p. 206
Additional References	p. 207
8 Software Process Improvement	p. 209
8.1 Introduction	p. 209
8.2 Objectives	p. 210
8.3 Background	p. 210
8.4 Models for Software Process Improvement	p. 212
8.5 Capability Determination	p. 225
8.6 Software Process Improvement	p. 225
8.7 Existing and Emerging Standards	p. 229
8.8 Summary	p. 231
Applicable Standards	p. 232
Additional References	p. 232
9 Software Configuration Management	p. 237
9.1 Introduction	p. 237
9.2 Objectives	p. 237
9.3 Software Configuration Management	p. 238
9.4 Software Configuration Management Concepts and Mechanisms	p. 242
9.5 Software Configuration Management Activities and Functions	p. 251
9.6 Summary	p. 268
Applicable Standards	p. 269
Additional References	p. 269
10 Software Quality Assurance	p. 271
10.1 Introduction	p. 271
10.2 Objectives	p. 272
10.3 Software Quality Assurance	p. 273
10.4 Software Quality Assurance Plan	p. 277
10.5 Summary	p. 286
Applicable Standards	p. 287
Additional References	p. 287
11 Software Reviews	p. 291
11.1 Introduction	p. 291
11.2 Objectives	p. 293
11.3 Overview of Software Reviews	p. 293
11.4 Management and Technical Reviews	p. 302
11.5 Walkthroughs and Inspections	p. 307
11.6 Audits	p. 313
11.7 Summary	p. 318
Applicable Standards	p. 318
Additional References	p. 319
III Project Planning and Management	p. 323
12 Software Cost and Schedule	p. 327
12.1 Introduction	p. 327
12.2 Objectives	p. 329
12.3 Initial Software Cost and Schedule Estimates	p. 329
12.4 Detailed Costing and Scheduling	p. 345
12.5 Monitoring Project Performance	p. 355
12.6 Summary	p. 367
Applicable Standards	p. 368
Additional References	p. 368
13 Software Engineering Project Management	p. 371
13.1 Introduction	p. 371
13.2 Objectives	p. 373
13.3 Software Engineering Project Management Functions and Objectives	p. 374
13.4 Software Engineering Project Management Functions	p. 376
13.5 Creating the Project Plan	p. 411
13.6 Summary	p. 413
Applicable Standard	p. 413
Additional References	p. 413
14 Software Risk Management	p. 417
14.1 Introduction	p. 417
14.2 Objectives	p. 417
14.3 Elements of Risk Management	p. 418
14.4 Identifying Risks	p. 422
14.5 Risk Analysis	p. 431
14.6 Risk Treatment	p. 434
14.7 Estimating Risk Impacts and Avoidance Costs	p. 438
14.8 Monitoring and Controlling Risks	p. 441
14.9 Planning a Risk Management Program	p. 442
14.10 Summary	p. 446
Applicable Standards	p. 446
Additional References	p. 446
15 Software Metrics	p. 449
15.1 Introduction	p. 449
15.2 Objectives	p. 451
15.3 Measurement and Metric Concepts	p. 452
15.4 Planning and Implementing a Metrics Program	p. 466
15.5 Techniques for Selecting Metrics	p. 471
15.6 Sample Core Metrics	p. 476
15.7 Associated IEEE Standards	p. 481
15.8 Summary	p. 493
Applicable Standards	p. 494
Additional References	p. 494
A The Work Breakdown Structure	p. 497
B Representing Project Schedules	p. 501
B.1 Activity Lists	p. 501
B.2 Activity Networks	p. 501
B.3 CPM	p. 503
B.4 PERT Charts	p. 505
B.5 Gantt Charts	p. 507
B.6 Comparisons	p. 509
Additional References	p. 511
Index	p. 513
About the Authors	p. 531

Available:*

On Order

Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Table of Contents