IndexDefining the Software Development LifecyclePlanningDeploymentWith digital technology being so much a part of our daily lives, it's easy to take software for granted. Whether an application on our desktop, laptop or mobile system works, that's all we care about. We might not even consider it software at all. But if a system or app malfunctions, or if there is an unwanted intrusion of viruses or other forms of malware, things take a different path. This is typically followed by an angry phone call or email to the IT department, tech support, or software vendor. In an ideal world, this should not be the case, and in fact there is an underlying basis for every software we use, which is intended to ensure that our apps and computer systems function correctly and have a high level of resilience to attacks and malicious software: the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssaySoftware Development Life Cycle DefinitionThe software development life cycle or SDLC consists of a series of phases or phases that provide a systematic blueprint for building and managing a software application. There are different variations of the SDLC model and different methodologies used at each stage of the process, depending on the organization or industry involved. There are also industry standards, such as ISO/IEC 12207, which in some cases define processes for establishing a software's lifecycle, how it should be deployed, or what the systems on which it runs should be. configured. The various types of SDLC models (which we will consider shortly) are sometimes referred to as software development process models, and each follows a particular lifecycle in order to ensure a successful software development and deployment process. In addition to the purpose suggested in our title – planning, developing, testing, deploying, and maintaining secure software – a software development lifecycle is also a business process whose goal is to reduce the cost and time needed to develop software, while improving the quality and robustness of the product itself. The SDLC achieves these, sometimes conflicting, goals by strictly following the path laid out by its different phases, each leading to the next. While the software development life cycle varies, there are some basic phases common to all of them, as we will now describe. Planning, sometimes known as the analysis and definition phase or requirements analysis phase, the SDLC begins with a needs analysis phase, gathering and planning phase, during which key questions about the software are asked and a list of requirements to define what it must be able to do. In this phase you get input from all stakeholders: the software's intended user base, the developers, and the organizations or systems that support its production. Typical questions to ask here include “Who will use this application?”, “How will the data be input/output from the system?” and “What do we/don't want to happen?” Design The specifications and considerations raised in the planning phase are then translated into a project known as the Design Specification, which also includes specifying the hardware and system requirements for the new application and defining the overall system architecture. To help refine the design, feedback and suggestions are invited from interested parties. ConstructionThis is the phase where the code is written.