Ch01 – The Nature of Software

it is a product, and at the same time, the vehicle for delivering a product (computing potential).

produces, manages, acquires, modifies, displays, or transmit information.

acts as the basis for the control of the computer (OS), the communication of information (networks), and the creation and control of other programs (software tools and environments).

Software delivers the most important product of our time: _________

instructions that when executed provide desired features, functions, and performance.

data structures that enable the programs to adequately manipulate information and descriptive information in both hard copy and virtual forms that describes the operation and use of the programs.

is engineered, doesn’t wear out (but deteriorates to change), and complex.

indicates that hardware exhibits relatively high failure rates early in its life, defects are corrected and the failure rate drops to a steady-state level for some period of time.

a gross oversimplification of actual failure models for software.

before the curve can return to the original steady-state failure rate, another change is requested, causing the curve to spike again.

a collection of programs written to service other programs.

Software is ________ if the order and timing of inputs, processing and outputs is predictable.

Software is _________ if the order and timing of inputs, processing and outputs cannot be  predicted in advance.

stand-alone programs that solve a specific business need.

a broad array of “number-crunching programs that range from astronomy to volcanology, from automotive stress analysis to orbital dynamics, and form computer-aided design to molecular biology, from genetic analysis to meteorology.

resides within a product or system and is used to implement and control features and functions for the end user and for the system itself.

designed to provide a specific capability for use by many different customers.

this network-centric category spans a wide array of applications and encompasses both browser-based apps and software that resides on mobile devices.

makes use of the nonnumerical algorithms to solve complex problems that are not amenable to computation or straightforward analysis.

developed to meet changes in business requirements and computing platforms.

characterized by longevity and business criticality.

have inextensible design, convoluted code, poor or nonexistent documentation, test cases and results that were never archived, a poorly managed change history.

Legacy system software must be:

Legacy system –must be _________ so that it remains viable into the future.

consisted of little more than a set of linked hypertext files that presented information using text and limited graphics.

evolved into sophisticated computing tools that not only provide stand-alone function to the end user, but also have been integrated with corporate databases and business applications.

allows a mobile device to gain access to web-based content via browser that has been specifically designed to accommodate the strengths and weaknesses of mobile platform.

can gain direct access to the hardware characteristics of the device and then provide the local processing and storage capabilities noted.

encompasses an infrastructure or “ecosystem” that enables any user, anywhere, to use a computing device to share computing resources on a brad scale.

includes client (user) device and the application software (browser) that allows bback-end to be accessed.

includes servers and related computing resources, data storage systems (databases), server-resident applications, and administrative servers.

a set of software-intensive systems that share a common, managed set of features satisfying the needs of a particular market segment or mission and that are developed from a set of core assets in a prescribed way.

Software New Categories: