1. What is system development life cylce?

The systems development life cycle (SDLC) is the overall process for
developing information systems from planning and analysis through implementation and maintenance.

2. What are the different phases of system development life cycle? Explain each phases.

Planning. This is the first phase in the systems development process. It identifies whether or not there is the need for a new
system to achieve a business’s strategic objectives. This is a preliminary plan (or a feasibility study) for a company’s business
initiative to acquire the resources to build on an infrastructure to modify or improve a service. The company might be trying
to me1111et or exceed expectations for their employees, customers and stakeholders too. The purpose of this step is to find
out the scope of the problem and determine solutions. Resources, costs, time, benefits and other items should be considered
at this stage.

Systems Analysis and Requirements. The second phase is where businesses will work on the source of their problem or
the need for a change. In the event of a problem, possible solutions are submitted and analyzed to identify the best fit for
the ultimate goal(s) of the project. This is where teams consider the functional requirements of the project or solution. It is
also where system analysis takes place—or analyzing the needs of the end users to ensure the new system can meet their
expectations. Systems analysis is vital in determining what a business’s needs are, as well as how they can be met, who will
be responsible for individual pieces of the project, and what sort of timeline should be expected.

Systems Design. The third phase describes, in detail, the necessary specifications, features and operations that will satisfy
the functional requirements of the proposed system which will be in place. This is the step for end users to discuss and
determine their specific business information needs for the proposed system. It"s during this phase that they will consider
the essential components (hardware and/or software) structure (networking capabilities), processing and procedures for the
system to accomplish its objectives.

Development. The fourth phase is when the real work begins—in particular, when a programmer, network engineer and/or
database developer are brought on to do the major work on the project. This work includes using a flow chart to ensure that
the process of the system is properly organized. The development phase marks the end of the initial section of the process.
Additionally, this phase signifies the start of production. The development stage is also characterized by instillation and
change. Focusing on training can be a huge benefit during this phase.

Integration and Testing. The fifth phase involves systems integration and system testing (of programs and procedures)—
normally carried out by a Quality Assurance (QA) professional—to determine if the proposed design meets the initial set of
business goals. Testing may be repeated, specifically to check for errors, bugs and interoperability. This testing will be
performed until the end user finds it acceptable. Another part of this phase is verification and validation, both of which will
help ensure the program"s successful completion.

Implementation. The sixth phase is when the majority of the code for the program is written. Additionally, this phase
involves the actual installation of the newly-developed system. This step puts the project into production by moving the
data and components from the old system and placing them in the new system via a direct cutover. While this can be a risky
(and complicated) move, the cutover typically happens during off-peak hours, thus minimizing the risk. Both system
analysts and end-users should now see the realization of the project that has implemented changes.
Operations and Maintenance. The seventh and final phase involves maintenance and regular required updates. This step
is when end users can fine-tune the system, if they wish, to boost performance, add new capabilities or meet additional user
requirements.

3. Which step of system development life cycle performs cost-benefit analysis? Provide an example.
It is in the first phase (planning phase) of system development life cycle where cost-benefit is analyze and
considered. A cost/benefit analysis determines which projects offer the organization the greatest benefits with the
least amount of cost.

4. Is it mandatory to implement system development life cycle methods while developing any type of software
project?
Yes you can sure implement SDLC approaches for every type of software you want to develop. But it is not a cost
effective solution for smaller projects. For every kind of software development needs different approach and
solution and must not be considered to be developed under mandatory SDLC guidelines.

5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of applying System Development Life Cycle phases?

Advantages
1. Formal review is created at the end of each stage allowing maximum management control.
2. This approach creates considerable system documentation.
3. This documentation ensures that system requirements can be traced back to stated business requirements.
4. It produces many intermediate products that can be reviewed to see whether they meet the user’s needs and conform to
standards. These can be further worked on if they require tweaks to be made, ensuring that the business gets exactly what it
needs.
Disadvantages
1. What may be seen as a major problem for some, end-user does not see the solution until the system is almost complete.
2. Users get a system that meets the need as understood by the developers; this may not be what was really needed for them.
There may be a loss in translation.
3. Documentation is expensive and time-consuming to create. It is also difficult to keep current. What may be current this
month may not be the same this time next year!
4. Users cannot easily review intermediate products and evaluate whether a particular product (e.g., data flow diagram)
meets their business requirements.
5. Another disadvantage of a program or software that follows the SDLC program is it encourages stiff implementation
instead of creativity. There are requirements that must be met and that is all that developers complete.
1. Conceptual Planning. This phase is the first step of any system's life cycle. It is during this phase that
a need to acquire or significantly enhance a system is identified, its feasibility and costs are assessed,
and the risks and various project-planning approaches are defined. Roles and responsibilities for the
Asset Manager, Sponsor's Representative, System Development Agent (SDA), System Support Agent
(SSA), and other parties in SDLC policy are designated during this stage and updated throughout the
system's life cycle.

2. Planning and Requirements Definition. This phase begins after the project has been defined and
appropriate resources have been committed. The first portion of this phase involves collecting, defining
and validating functional, support and training requirements. The second part is developing initial life
cycle management plans, including project planning, project management, Configuration Management
(CM), support, operations, and training management.

3. Design. During this phase, functional, support and training requirements are translated into
preliminary and detailed designs. Decisions are made to address how the system will meet functional
requirements. A preliminary (general) system design, emphasizing the functional features of the
system, is produced as a high-level guide. Then a final (detailed) system design is produced that
expands the design by specifying all the technical detail needed to develop the system.

4. Development and Testing. During this phase, systems are developed or acquired based on detailed
design specifications. The system is validated through a sequence of unit, integration, performance,
system, and acceptance testing. The objective is to ensure that the system functions as expected and
that sponsor's requirements are satisfied. All system components, communications, applications,
procedures, and associated documentation are eveloped/acquired, tested, and integrated. This phase
requires strong user participation in order to verify thorough testing of all requirements and to meet all
business needs.

5. Implementation. During this phase, the new or enhanced system is installed in the production
environment, users are trained, data is converted (as needed), the system is turned over to the sponsor,
and business processes are evaluated. This phase includes efforts required to implement, resolve system
problems identified during the implementation process, and plan for sustainment.

6. Operations and Maintenance. The system becomes operational during this phase. The emphasis
during this phase is to ensure that sponsor needs continue to be met and that the system continues to
perform according to specifications. Routine hardware and software maintenance and upgrades are
performed to ensure effective system operations. User training continues during this phase, as needed,
to acquaint new users to the system or to introduce new features to current users. Additional user
support is provided, as an ongoing activity, to help resolve reported problems.

7. Disposition. This phase represents the end of the system's life cycle. It provides for the systematic
termination of a system to ensure that vital information is preserved for potential future access and/or
reactivation. The system, when placed in the Disposition Phase, has been declared surplus and/or
obsolete and has been scheduled for shutdown. The emphasis of this phase is to ensure that the system
(e.g., equipment, parts, software, data, procedures, and documentation) is packaged and disposed of in
accordance with appropriate regulations and requirements.