Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) : Phases, Benefits & Role of SDLC in DevSecOps
What is SDLC
Software Development Life Cycle is a structured process enabling production of high-quality and affordable software as quickly as possible. The aim of the SDLC is to produce top-notch software that meets and surpasses all client expectations and needs. The SDLC specifies and sketches out a thorough plan with stages or phases, each of which includes its own procedures and outputs. Following the SDLC expedites development while boosting production efficiency and lowering project risks and costs.
Why Software Development Life Cycle
Software development life cycles are often used when creating IT projects.
Software development managers will use Software Development Life Cycle to specify different development phases, ensure that everyone completes phases in the right order and on schedule and that the project is completed as quickly and bug-free as feasible.
Systems analysts who are creating and subsequently implementing a new information system can also use SDLCs in a more focused manner.
How Does SDLC Works
Software Development Life Cycle works by reducing software development costs while both enhancing quality and accelerating production. By employing a technique that reduces the typical risks of software development projects, SDLC accomplishes these evidently incompatible goals. Finding weaknesses in the existing systems is where the plan starts.
Then, the requirements for the new system are defined. To actually construct the programme, it then goes through the steps of analysis, planning, design, development and testing. The SDLC can cut down on additional work and post-fact corrections by anticipating expensive mistakes like forgetting to gather feedback from the customer or end-user.
It’s also crucial to be aware of the importance placed on the testing stage. You must guarantee code quality with each cycle of the Software Development Life Cycle because it is a repetitive technique. While a higher focus on testing can help many organisations avoid spending a lot of time, money and rework, they often tend to put little effort into it. Write the proper kinds of tests with intelligence.
SDLC Phases
There are seven key phases in the current software development life cycle. Here’s a quick summary of each:
- Requirement Gathering and Analysis
- Feasibility study
- Design
- Implementation of Coding
- Testing
- Deployment
- Maintenance
Let’s now examine each stage in further detail on its own.
- Requirement Gathering and Analysis
Before we even start with the planning step, the best advice we can provide you is to take some time and properly grasp the app development life cycle.
The planning stage, which is sometimes referred to as the feasibility stage, is when project developers will make their plans.
It aids in identifying the issues and the limitations of any existing systems, as well as the objectives for their new systems.
Creating a well-structured plan for the upcoming development cycle would hypothetically enable them to identify issues before they impact the development process.
And help them acquire the resources and money needed to implement their plan.
The panning stage, which is perhaps the most crucial, establishes the project schedule, which might be crucial if development is taking place for a business product that needs to release in the market by a certain date. - Feasibility study
The analysis phase involves gathering all the relevant data for a new system and developing the earliest prototype concepts.
Developers usually create a document known as software requirement specification or SRS.
This includes every requirement for the system they plan to build in terms of hardware, software and network needs. This will stop them from using up too many find or resources while working alongside other development teams.
Developers may:- Specify any prototype system needs
- Consider alternatives to the current prototypes
- Conduct research and analysis to identify end-user demands
- Design
The design stage is important before moving on to the main developer step.
The SRS document they produced will normally be transformed into a more logical structure that may even then be implemented in a programming language. Moving further, to ensure developers will be aware of each stage of the cycle, plans for operations, training and maintenance will be created.
Development managers will eventually produce a design document that will serve as a roadmap for the remaining stages of the Software Development Life Cycle.
The specifics of the application’s general functionality and a few standout features, such as its:
- User interfaces
- System interfaces
- Network and network requirements
- Databases
- Implementation of Coding
During the development stage, skilled developers diligently translate the design papers and outlined specifications into actual application code, breathing life into the software.
SAST or Static Application Security Testing tools are useful in this situation.
The design document’s specifications are followed when creating the product’s programme code. The actual development step should be rather simple as a result of all the earlier planning and outlining.
Developers will employ a number of tools, including interpreters, debuggers, and compilers, and adhere to any code standards established by the business.
Standard programming languages include ++, PHP, and others. Developers will pick the programming language as per the requirements and specifications of the project. - Testing
Software development is not the end.
Testing is now required to ensure that there are no defects and that the end-user experience won’t suffer at any time.
Throughout the testing stage, developers carefully examine their software, looking for any flaws or problems that need to be tracked, fixed, and then retested.
It’s crucial that the final version of the software adhere to the quality criteria outlined in the SRS document.
As per the needs of the user, the complexity of the software and the expertise of the developers, testing can be very quick or might take longer time. - Deployment
Testing will lead to the finalisation of the software’s overall design. Through developer efforts, various modules or designs will be incorporated into the main source code, usually by leveraging training environments to find further problems or flaws.
Finally, an information system will be created and integrated into its environment.
Technically speaking, the software is now market-ready and is ready to be made available to any end consumers. - Maintenance
The SDLC is not complete until the software is put up for sale. Developers must now enter maintenance mode and start executing any tasks necessary to address issues that end-users have reported.
Even after deployment, developers are responsible for the changes in the software, in case required.
This can involve dealing with remaining defects that weren’t fixed before launch or fixing brand-new problems that emerge as a result of consumer complaints. Larger systems could require more intensive maintenance phases than smaller systems do.
Benefits of the SDLC
The maximum level of management control and documentation is feasible when the SDLC is carried out properly. It is obvious what and why developers should build. Each party is upfront about the goal and has a detailed plan for how to get there. Everybody is aware of the costs and materials required.
A number of issues can make an Software Development Life Cycle implementation more of a roadblock than a benefit for development. Incomplete knowledge of the system requirements at the beginning might result in failure to take into account the expectations of customers, users, and stakeholders. Only if the strategy is meticulously implemented, the benefits of SDLC be realised.
The Role Of DevOps In The Term Of Security In SDLC
Unlike conventional software development, which addresses security at a separate stage, the SDLC does so through the use of DevSecOps procedures.
A methodology called DevSecOps which is an extension of DevOps places emphasis on integrating security assessments throughout the whole Software Development Life-Cycle. It guarantees that the software is secure from the beginning of the design process until it is delivered and that it can fend off any threats. DevSecOps involves security assurance tasks that are integrated into IDEs, code repositories, and build servers. These tasks include code review, architectural analysis, penetration testing, penetration testing, and automated detection.
Conclusion
In the end, including software development life cycles into projects can be advantageous for any development team working in both the IT and non-IT sectors. For the greatest outcomes, choose the methodology that will work best with your Software Development Life Cycle for the best results.
FAQs
SDLC is a structured methodology used to develop, deploy, and maintain software systems. It includes a series of various phases, each of which has its own set of activities, results, and goals. Further, it helps in a structured approach, risk management, cost and time efficiency, and others.
SDLC process consists of seven phases:
1. Requirement Gatherings: In this initial phase, the development team interacts to understand the needs and gather requirements,
2. System Analysis: This phase involves analysing the gathered requirement with the system’s overall architecture, components, and data flow.
3. Design: The team designs the software based on analysis and needs.
4. Implementation: Also known as the coding phase, in which the software development takes place.
5. Testing: Software is tested to identify faults and bugs and to ensure the proper functioning of the software.
6. Deployment: Once tested, the software is deployed to the end-user
7. Maintenance: After deployment, the software enters the maintenance phase. It includes monitoring software, fixing bugs and making updates if required.
SDLC models are systematic approaches used to guide the development and maintenance of software systems. This includes the Waterfall model, Iterative model, Spiral Model, Agile model, V-model, RAD model, Incremental model and DevOps model. Amongst them, the final and most important model is DevOps Model, which combines development and operations, promoting collaboration and automation to deliver software quickly and efficiently.
Continuous integration, delivery, and deployment are all part of it. DevOps focuses on shortening the development lifecycle and maintaining high-quality software through close collaboration between development and operations teams.
SRS stands for Software Requirements Specification. It is a document that states an overall briefing of the software system’s needs, constraints and functionalities.
The SRS document is typically created during the early stages of the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) process and acts as a foundation for the development team.
A feasibility study is an evaluation done at the beginning of the project to verify its potential success. It involves the evaluation of various aspects of the project to examine whether its operationally, technically or economically feasible to proceed with its development.
It depends on the project requirements, budget and time constraints of the business. Though among them, DevOps is one of the reliable SDLC models that is suitable for projects that require rapid releases, frequent updates, and a high level of coordination between teams. It improves efficiency, quality, and time to market. However, it requires infrastructure automation and cultural shifts within the organisation.
Some of SDLC advantages are a clear understanding of requirements, improved project planning, enhanced communication and collaboration, quality assurance, effective risk management, scalability and maintainability, client satisfaction and efficient resource management.
While the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) process offers numerous advantages, it also has some potential disadvantages like rigidity, limited stakeholder involvement, longer time-to-market, difficulty in handling changing requirements, overemphasis on documentation, limited early feedback and resistance to change.
