IMPROVING RAM IN LARGE SYSTEMS BY COMBINING THE WATERFALL AND RAPID PROTOTYPING MODELS

DEVELOPMENT METHODS AND TOOLS ARE NEEDED WHICH BOTH REDUCE DEVELOPMENT COSTS AND FACILITATE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN DEVELOPERS AND MAINTAINERS THROUGHOUT THE LIFE CYCLE. WE PROPOSE TO SCRUTINIZE FUNDAMENTAL ASSUMPTIONS UNDERLYING CURRENT DEVELOPMENT METHODS AND SUPPORTING TOOLS TO DETERMINE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THESE ASSUMPTIONS WITH RESPECT TO RELIABILITY, AVAILABILITY AND MAINTAINABILITY (RAM) AND THE ASSOCIATED COSTS. WE PROPOSE AN IMPROVED APPROACH TO SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT WHICH COMBINES ADVANTAGES OF THE "WATERFALL" AND "RAPID PROTOTYPING" MODELS. OUR PROPOSED RESEARCH: 1) INVOLVES COMPLETE ANALYSIS AND EXTENSIBLE DESIGNS, 2) IS APPLICABLE TO BOTH LARGE AND SMALL SYSTEMS, 3) PROVIDES A CONCRETE "PAPER TRAIL", 4) MAKES IT EASY TO ASSESS PROGRESS, 5) MAKES IT EASY TO MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY AMONG LIFE CYCLE PHASES, AND 6) TREATS TESTING AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF DEVELOPMENT. THIS APPROACH BY DESIGN AVOIDS MANY LIMITATIONS OF "WATERFALL" AND "RAPID PROTOTYPING" CONSIDERED INDIVIDUALLY.