IT 2251 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING AND QUALITY ASSURANCE UNIT I Two marks 1. What is a software engineering?

? Software engineering is a discipline in which theories, methods and tools are applied to develop professional software. (Or) Define software engineering. According to IEEE, software engineering is the application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software. 2. What is Software? Software is nothing but a collection of computer programs that are related documents that are indented to provide desired features, functionalities and better Performance. Software products may be developed for a particular customer or may be developed for a general market. Software products may be Generic - developed to be sold to a range of different customers. Bespoke (custom) - developed for a single customer according to their specification. 3. What are the characteristics of the software? Software is engineered, not manufactured Software does not wear out. Most software is custom built rather than being assembled from components. 4. What are the various categories of software? System software Application software Engineering/Scientific software Embedded software Web Applications Artificial Intelligence software 5. What are the challenges in software? Copying with legacy systems. Heterogeneity challenge Delivery times challenge 6. Define software process. Software process is defined as the structured set of activities that are required to develop the software system. Software Product and Process

7. What are basic process activities that are applicable to all software processes? 1) Software specification: The software must define functionality of the software and constraints on its operation. 2) Software development: The software must be developed according to its specification. 3) Software validation: The software must perform all the function that customer wants. 4) Software evolution: The software must develop to meet changing customer requirements. (Or) What are the fundamental activities of a software process? Specification Design and implementation Validation Evolution 8. What are the umbrella activities of a software process? Software project tracking and control. Risk management. Software Quality Assurance Formal Technical Reviews. Software Configuration Management. Work product preparation and production Reusability management. Measurement. 9. What are the merits and Demerits of incremental model? Merits i. The incremental model can be adopted when there is less number of people involved in the project. ii. Technical risks can be managed with each increment. iii. For a very small time span, at least core product can be delivered to the customer. Demerits i. customer expectations may change when they see the system develop. ii. if the users have not involved in the project actively means then it may cause some delay in the project progress. 10. List the task regions in the Spiral model. Customer communication In this region it is suggested to establish customer communication. Planning All planning activities are carried out in order to define resources timeline and other project related activities

Risk analysis The tasks required to calculate technical and management risks. Engineering In this the task region, tasks required to build one or more representations of applications are carried out. Construct and release All the necessary tasks required to construct, test, install the applications are conducted. Customer evaluation Customers feedback is obtained and based on the customer evaluation required tasks are performed and implemented at installation stage. 11. What are the drawbacks of spiral model? i. It is based on customer communication. If the communication is not proper then the software product that gets developed will not be the up to the mark. ii. It demands considerable risk assessment. If the risk assessment is done properly then only the successful product can be obtained. 12. What is System Engineering? System Engineering means designing, implementing, deploying and operating systems which include hardware, software and people. 13. List the process maturity levels in SEIs CMM. Level 1: Initial Few processes are defined and individual efforts are taken. Level 2: Repeatable To track cost schedule and functionality basic project management processes are established. Level 3: Defined The process is standardized, documented and followed. Level 4: Managed Both the software process and product are quantitatively understood and controlled using detailed measures. Level 5: Optimizing Establish mechanisms to plan and implement change. (Or) List the CMMI Maturity Levels 1. Initial no defined process, unpredictable. 2. Managed process defined by projects, reactive. 3. Defined organization follows a well-defined process. proactive. 4. Quantitatively managed measured and controlled process (es) 5. Optimizing continuous improvement 14. Define the computer based system. The computer based system can be defined as a set or an arrangement of elements that are organized to accomplish some predefined goal by processing information. 15. What does Verification represent? Verification represents the set of activities that are carried out to confirm that the software correctly implements the specific functionality. (Or) Define Verification. Ensuring that your product meets the original design. You build the product right

 Internal viewpoint 16. What does Validation represent? Validation represents the set of activities that ensure that the software that has been built is satisfying the customer requirements. (Or) Define Validation. Ensuring that your product design satisfies its intended use. You build the right product - External viewpoint..More time with people 17. What are the steps followed in testing? i. Unit testing The individual components are tested in this type of testing. ii. Module testing Related collection of independent components are tested. iii. Sub-system testing This is a kind of integration testing. Various modules are integrated into a subsystem and the whole subsystem is tested. iv. System testing The whole system is tested in this system. v. Acceptance testing This type of testing involves testing of the system with customer data. If the system behaves as per customer need then it is accepted. 18. What is the use of CMM? Capability Maturity Model is used in assessing how well an organizations processes allow to complete and manage new software projects. 19. Name the Evolutionary process Models. i. Incremental model ii. Spiral model iii. WIN-WIN spiral model iv. Concurrent Development 20. What is requirement engineering? Requirement engineering is the process of establishing the services that the customer requires from the system and the constraints under which it operates and is developed. 21. What are the various types of traceability in software engineering? i. Source traceability These are basically the links from requirement to stakeholders who propose these requirements. ii. Requirements traceability These are links between dependant requirements. iii. Design traceability These are links from requirements to design. 22. Give the characteristics of quality of software? Quality is not absolute Quality is multidimensional. Quality is subject to constraints Quality is about acceptable compromises.

 Quality criteria are not independent. 23. Define CASE tool. CASE-Computer Aided Software Engineering. CASE tools are computer based tools to assist in the software engineering process. CASE tool is made up of set of tools. 24. What are advantages of CASE Tools? Productivity. Consistency. Methodology Automation. Encourages Good Practice. Documentation. Maintenance. 25. What are different types of CASE tools? Front end or upper case tools. Back end or lower case tool Integrated case tools. 26. Why we have to assess the reliability of a software product? It is important for two reasons As an objective statement of the quality of the product. For resource planning for the software maintenance phase. 27. What are five factors affecting software quality assurance? Size of the system Criticality of the system. The cost of correcting errors. Type of release. Relationship with user. 28. Write down the five effective methods to ensure the failure of software quality assurance? Too many technical niceties. Too much time spent stopping, rather than preventing defects. Efforts wasted. Management has a problem with the mathematical kid. 29. Write down the principles behind the review process? Establishing what reviews are needed by the project. What are contents of various reviews? What should be results o f the review?

30. Write down the specification for reviews? Formal reviews occur at meaningful points of the software schedule. Include affected groups within organization and customer or end user representatives as appropriate. Review materials that the responsible software managers have reviewed and approved. Check the commitments, plans and status of the software activities. Document the identification of significant issues. Address the software project risks. Define any refinements in the software development plan 31. Write down the objectives of Management Review Process? Making activities progress according to plan Changing project direction. Identify the need for alternative planning. Maintaining the global control of the project. 32. What are the inputs given to the management review process? Statement of objectives List of issues to be addressed. Current project schedule. Report from other reviews. Reports of resources assigned to project Data on the software elements completed. 33. What are the procedures involved in the management review? Planning Overview Preparation Examination. Rework Exit criteria. Management review output. Auditability 34. Write down the objective of Technical review? Evaluation of a specific software element. Recommendations after the examination of alternatives. Identification of any discrepancies from specification and standards. 35. What are inputs given to the technical review process? Statement of objectives. Software elements being examined. Specifications for the software elements. 6

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 Plans, standards or guidelines against which the software elements are to be examined. 36. Write down the procedures involved in auditing? Planning Overview Preparation Examination Reporting 37. What are the requirements required for the document audit and verification? Acquisition of project documentation. Analysis of documents. Dissemination of information. 38. What is the purpose of performing Review and auditing? The purpose of performing review and audits are to ensure that the product meets all client needs and requirements and to find development anomalies as early and as inexpensively as possible. 39. What is meant by software engineering paradigm? The development strategy that encompasses the process, methods and tools and generic phases is often referred to as a process model or software engineering paradigm. 40. Define process model. A process model is a description of a process expressed in a suitable process modeling language. It is an abstract representation of software process. 41. What are the various elements that a computer-based system makes use of? The various elements that a computer-based system makes use of are: Software Hardware People Database Documentation Procedures 42. Mention the various views in system engineering hierarchy. The various views in system engineering hierarchy from top to bottom in order are: World view Domain view Element view Detailed view 43. Methods of assessing design quality. 7

Technical review Management review 44. What are the qualities of good design? well-structured simple efficient adequate flexible practical implement able 45. What are the different phases in Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)? Strategy planning Feasibility study Analysis Design Implementation Maintenance 46. What is Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)? The Software Development Life Cycle is a step-by-step process involved in the development of a software product. It is also denoted as Software Development process in certain parts of the world. The whole process is generally classified into a set of steps and a specific operation will be carried out in each of the steps. 47. Differentiate Verification vs. Validation Verification vs. Validation Testing is done to verify and to validate software. Verification the software implements a certain function correctly. Validation software implements the requirements. 48. What is SQA (Software Quality Assurance)? The level of quality in the process of software development and testing The entire software development process and how you do things 49. What are the various phases encompassed in the RAD model? The various phases encompassed in the RAD model are: Business modeling Data modeling Process modeling Application generation Testing and turnover 50. What is meant by blocking state in linear sequential (or) water fall model?

The linear nature of linear sequential model brings a situation in a project that some project team members have to wait for other members of the team to complete the dependent tasks. This situation is called blocking state in linear sequential model. 51. Difference between system and software engineering. System engineering It deals with aspects of computer based system development. In system engineering the overall objective of the system must be defined. In the system engineering the role of hardware, software, people, database, procedures and other system elements must be identified. software engineering Software engineering is a part of system engineering The Software engineering is concerned with the practical problems of producing software.

52. Difference between system and computer based system. System engineering Computer based system. A system can be defined as the The computer based system can be purposeful collection of interdefined as a set or an arrangement related components working of elements that are organized to together to achieve some common accomplish some predefined goal objective. by processing the information. The system engineer understands Various elements of computer the system requirements by based system are software, working with customer and other hardware, people and database. stakeholders. 53. Discuss the major difference between software life cycle model and a process model. Software life cycle model Process model. This model is based on common four activities: Analysis, Design, code and testing. The software development process can be clearly and systematically defined in phases. Customer interaction is possible in every stage of software development process in this model. Large scale projects can be handled using this approach. This model is based on problem definition, technical development, software integration and existing status. The software development process cannot be clearly defined in phases. Customer interaction is only at initial stage of software development. Large scale projects may be caught in chaotic situation using this approach.

54. State the merits and demerits of waterfall life cycle model. Merits The waterfall model is simple to implement. For implementation of small systems the waterfall model is used. Demerits This model requires wall understanding of requirements. It is difficult to accommodate changes after process has started. Risks can be identified at the end; this may lead to failure of the product. The working model is available to the customer only at the end. 55. State the merits and demerits of spiral life cycle model. Merits This model has iterative nature. Hence requirements can be identified at new iteration. Requirements changes can be made at every stage of new version. Risks can be identified and reduced before they get problematic. The working model is available to the customer at certain stage of iteration. Demerits This model is based on customer communication. If communication is not proper then the product being developed is not up to the mark. It demands considerable risk assessment. If the risk assessment is done properly then only successful product can be obtained. 56. What are the different phases in spiral model? Each cycle includes the following phases: Determine goals, Alternatives, Constraints, Risk analysis, Prototype development Product development and verification and planning for next phase 57. List the restraining factors in constructing a system model. The restraining factors in constructing a system model are: Assumption Simplifications Limitations Constraints Preference 58. What is CASE (Computer-Aided Software Engineering)? Software systems which are intended to provide automated support for software process activities. CASE systems are often used for method support. Upper-CASE Tools to support the early process activities of requirements and design. Lower-CASE Tools to support later activities such as programming, debugging and testing.

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59. What are the attributes of good software? The software should deliver the required functionality and performance to the user. Maintainability Software must evolve to meet changing needs. Dependability Software must be trustworthy. Efficiency Software should not make wasteful use of system resources. Usability Software must be usable by the users for which it was designed. 60. Expand SDLC? SDLC stands for Software Development Life cycle. This is a method for development of software products in a systematic and methodological manner. 61. Differentiate between software defect and software error. Software defect A software defect is a product anomaly. Eg: Omissions of a required feature or imperfection in the product. Software error A software error is observed difference between a computed value and a required value or condition. Eg: Error due to misinterpretation of a specific software requirement. 62. Differentiate between software fault and software failure. Software fault Software contains whenever it has an incorrect step, process or data definition. Software failure A software failure occurs when the software is unable to perform its required function. 63. What are the various activities of verification and validation? Requirement review Design review Code inspections Product testing 65. What is product engineering? The process of translating the customers desire into a work product is known as product engineering.

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12 MARKS QUESTIONS 1. Explain iterative waterfall and spiral model for software life cycle and various activities in each phase. Or Describe each stage in waterfall model and spiral model with the merits and demerits. Or Explain the linear life cycle model with suitable illustration. Bring out the merits and demerits of this model.

2. Explain about the incremental model. 3. Explain in detail about the software process framework with neat sketch. Or Identify the umbrella activities in software engineering process. 4. Explain various levels of CMM. 5. Explain the incremental life cycle model in detail with neat diagram. 6. Describe the computer-based system with example. 7. Explain the system engineering hierarchy with neat diagram. 8. Explain the stages stages involved in problem solving loop. 9. Explain the following software process models with neat sketch and discuss its. Merits and Demerits. (i) RAD model (ii) WIN-WIN spiral model (iii) Concurrent development model (iv) Prototyping model 10. What is meant by generic view of software engineering? Brief it. 11. What is the difference between system and computer-based system? 12. Draw a product engineering hierarchy diagram and explain the concept. 13. Explain the business process engineering hierarchy with neat diagram. 14. Illustrate: software engineering is a layered technology. 15. Brief in detail about verification and validation describe the various verification and validation technique in detail. How they are related to software reliability. 16. Compare the contrast of waterfall model with the spiral model.

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