System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

A key methodology in the creation of software and applications is the systems

development life cycle (SDLC). The systems development life cycle is a term used in
systems engineering, information systems, and software engineering to describe a process
for planning, creating, testing, and deploying an information system. There are many
phases involved in the systems development life cycle.

Phases of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

SDLC Phase 1: Preliminary Analysis

What is the first step of the SDLC? Phase 1 of the systems development life cycle
involves a preliminary analysis,an initial phase at the start of a project that determines
whether the concept is viable; any proposed alternative solutions; the cost benefit
evaluation; and finally the submission of the preliminary plan for recommendations.
Before the preliminary analysis is complete, the developer performs feasibility studies to
determine whether to fix the existing system or create a new system to replace the old.

The different components of the feasibility study within the system

development life cycle include:

1. Operational Feasibility – measures how well a proposed system solves the problems,
provides the required solutions, takes advantage of the opportunities identified during
scope definition, and how the system satisfies the requirements identified in the
requirements analysis phase of the system development life cycle.
2. Economic Feasibility –determines the positive economic benefits that the system will
provide (cost benefit analysis).

3. Technical Feasibility – confirms the system will perform and verifies there are no
production barriers.

4. Human Factors Feasibility – determines whether the system is relevant and can be
managed by the end user.

SDLC Phase 2: Systems Analysis

Phase 2 of the systems development life cycle defines the project goals broken
down into defined functions and operation of the application. During this phase, facts are
gathered and interpreted, problems are diagnosed, and improvements are recommended.

There are several tools that can be used for systems analysis, and they include:

1. CASE (Computer Aided Systems/Software Engineering) – organizes and controls the

development of software or systems through use of a computer-assisted method.
Using CASE allows everyone to share a common view of the project and where it
stands at each stage of development.

2. Requirements Gathering – provides alternative means to illustrate, explain, and specify

exactly what must be delivered to meet business goals.

3. Structured Analysis and Design Technique (SADT) – helps people describe and
understand systems through a diagrammatic notation. SADT can be used as a
functional analysis tool of a given process, using successive levels of detail.

SDLC Phase 3: Systems Design

Phase 3 of the systems development life cycle describes the desired features and
operations of the system. The objective of the systems design phase is to transform all
requirements into detailed specifications covering all aspects of the system. It should also
assess and plan for security risks. Finally, approval to progress to the development phase
must be granted to complete the systems design phase.

SDLC Phase 4: Development

Phase 4 of the systems development life cycle is when code is written for the desired
features and operations.Programming tools like compilers, interpreters, and language are
used for coding. The objective of the development phase within the system development
life cycle is to build the system, test and integrate the units into larger components,
prepare the technical environment for the system, and finally get approval to progress to
the integration and testing phase.

SDLC Phase 5: Integration and Testing

 During Phase 5 of the systems development life cycle, the developer tests the
system for bugs and errors to make it compliant and accurate. The integration and testing
phase are usually carried out by a quality assurance professional.

There are many different types of testing for a system including:

1. Path Testing – ensures that every path through a problem has been executed at least
once.

2. Data Set Testing – separates the system into a training set and testing set then
randomly samples the data to help ensure that the testing and training sets are similar.

3. Unit Testing – takes individual units of software source code and tests them
to determine whether they are fit for use.

4. System Testing – conducts testing on a complete, integrated system to evaluate the

system’s compliance with its specified requirements.

5. Integration Testing – combines and tests individual software modules as a group.

6. Black-Box Testing – examines the functionality of an application without peering into

its internal structures or workings.

7. White-Box Testing – tests internal structures or workings of an application giving an

internal perspective of the system.

8. Regression Testing – verifies that software that was previously developed and tested
still performs correctly after it was changed or interfaced with other software.

9. Automation Testing – automates some repetitive tasks in a formalized testing process

already in place.

10. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) – also known as beta-testing, tests software in the real
world by the intended audience.

11. Software Performance Testing – determines how a system performs in terms of

responsiveness and stability under a particular workload.

SDLC Phase 6: Acceptance, Installation, and Deployment

Phase 6 of the initial development state of the systems development life cycle puts
the software into production and runs as needed. If it performs the tasks correctly and
represents the system, the developer moves on to the next phase of maintenance within
the system development life cycle.

During deployment of the system there are two processes of changeover:

1. Direct Changeover – one-to-one replacement of the old and new systems.

2. Parallel Run – both systems are executed simultaneously. If the data is identical
between the manual process and the system, then the system is deployed.
SDLC Phase 7: Maintenance

Phase 7 of the systems development life cycle assesses and ensures that the system
does not become obsolete.The objective of the maintenance phase of the system
development life cycle is to manage all changes to the system to support the end user,
monitor the system’s performance, perform required security activities, and finally move
into the training and documentation for end user support.

SDLC Phase 8: Evaluation

Phase 8 of the systems development life cycle is the post-implementation review.

This phase identifies whether the system meets the initial requirements and objectives.
This is when the system is evaluated for weaknesses.The objective of the evaluation
phase of the systems development life cycle is to deploy the system and train the system
end users.

SDLC Phase 9: Disposal

Phase 9 of the systems development life cycle is when plans are initiated to discard
system information, hardware,and software in a transition to a new system. It is important
to dispose of system information discreetly and securely, as much of the information can
be of a personal nature.

Importance of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

If a problem is identified during any phase of the systems development life cycle,
the developer may have to proceed through the life cycle phases once more. All phases of
the systems development life cycle need to occur for the success of the app
and satisfaction of its users.The system development life cycle component of the course
introduces aspects of methodology, the unique phases, and the roles that IT professionals
play in the various stages of a project. Students learn how to collect and document
requirements, translate them to application design, and trace each project artifact to its
original scope.