Part IV - Software Management

Question 1

What is configuration management

Answer 1

Configuration management is about controlling changes made in a system, by using documentation and a standardized approach

Question 2

What are the main processes involved in configuration management

Answer 2

Change management
Release management
Version control
System building

Question 3

What is version control

Answer 3

Version control is keeping track of each component’s version and the features/changes implemented for each

Question 4

What is system building

Answer 4

System building is integrating, assembling the components onto a system

Question 5

What should be done after each version is implemented?

Answer 5

Integration testing: software should be rebuilt and tested after each version to reduce bugs

Question 6

What is change management referring to?

Answer 6

Change management is the act of assessing proposals of stakeholders and customers, to determine if they are feasible, and to select which ones to implement.

Question 7

What is required for a system release

Answer 7

System releases have the code, data, configuration files, and documentation.

Question 8

What does the act of release management involve?

Answer 8

The act of managing releases involves deciding on a date, and providing distribution and software documentation.

Question 9

What is quality management?

Answer 9

Concerned with ensuring that there are minimal defects in the product

Question 10

What does the act of quality management entail?

Answer 10

Setting standards to check if processes are of the correct quality

Question 11

What are quality checks, who does them, and what are they called?

Answer 11

Quality checks are done on deliverables by a team of people, who are not a part of the development team. They call them reviews

Question 12

What happens in a program inspection / peer review?

Answer 12

Code is thoroughly read to mitigate error. Problems detected are communicated amongst team members

Question 13

How does agile quality management differ from other quality management styles?

Answer 13

Quality management rests on the shoulders of the developers themselves. It works by encouraging a culture that has values of taking ownership, and commitment to improving.

Question 14

What is a quality metric?

Answer 14

A quality metric is some quantitative statistic about the quality of the code. These figures are used to represent graphs, and to make inferences about the overall quality of a piece of software.

Question 15

When are quality metrics particularly useful?

Answer 15

When an anomaly is detected

Question 16

What are software analytics?

Answer 16

Software analytics is the automated analysis of large volumes of software product and process data to discover relationships that may provide insights for project managers and developers.

Question 17

How can software pricing be influenced?

Answer 17

The price charged for a system does not just depend on its estimated development costs and the profit required by the development company. Organizational factors may mean that the price is increased to compensate for increased risk or decreased to gain competitive advantage.

Question 18

How does software cost proposal work, when estimation is always off to a degree?

Answer 18

Software is often priced to gain a contract, and the functionality of the system is then adjusted to meet the estimated price.

Question 19

What is plan driven development?

Answer 19

Plan-driven development is organized around a complete project plan that defines the project activities, the planned effort, the activity schedule, and who is responsible for each activity.

Question 20

What activities are involved in project planning?

Answer 20

Project scheduling involves the creation of various graphical representations of part of the project plan. Bar charts, which show the activity duration and staffing timelines, are the most commonly used schedule representations.

Question 21

What is a project milestone, and what needs to be done when it is reached?

Answer 21

A project milestone is a predictable outcome of an activity or set of activities. At each milestone, a formal report of progress should be presented to management. A deliverable is a work product that is delivered to the project customer.

Question 22

How does agile planning differ from other methods of planning?

Answer 22

The agile planning game involves the whole team in project planning. The plan is developed incrementally, and, if problems arise, it is adjusted so that software functionality is reduced instead of delaying the delivery of an increment.

Question 23

What are the different kinds of estimation techniques?

Answer 23

Estimation techniques for software may be experience-based, where managers judge the effort required, or algorithmic, where the effort required is computed from other estimated project parameters.

Question 24

What is COCOMO, and what variables does it consider?

Answer 24

The COCOMO II costing model is a mature algorithmic cost model that takes project, product, hardware, and personnel attributes into account when formulating a cost estimate.

Question 25

How and why does software management differ from other kinds of management

Answer 25

Software management is distinct from other engineering management. Software is intangible. Projects may be novel or innovative, so there is no body of experience to guide their manage- ment. Software processes are not as mature as traditional engineering processes.

Question 26

What is risk management and what does it entail?

Answer 26

Risk management involves identifying and assessing major project risks to establish the prob- ability that they will occur and the consequences for the project if that risk does arise. You should make plans to avoid, manage, or deal with likely risks if or when they arise.

Question 27

What is people management? What does it entail?

Answer 27

People management involves choosing the right people to work on a project and organizing the team and its working environment so that they are as productive as possible.

Question 28

How are people motivated?

Answer 28

People are motivated by interaction with other people, by the recognition of management and their peers, and by being given opportunities for personal development.

Question 29

What makes an effective team?

Answer 29

Software development groups should be fairly small and cohesive. The key factors that influ- ence the effectiveness of a group are the people in that group, the way that it is organized, and the communication between group members.

Question 30

What effects the communication in a team?

Answer 30

Communications within a group are influenced by factors such as the status of group members, the size of the group, the gender composition of the group, personalities, and available commu- nication channels.

Question 31

In chapter 22, Project Management, what are the 3 main subchapters? Explain them.

Answer 31

Risk management, managing people, teamwork

Question 32

What are the 6 subchapters in chapter 23, Project Planning? Explain them.

Answer 32

Software pricing, plan driven development, project scheduling, agile planning, estimation techniques, COCOMO cost modelling

Question 33

What are the 5 subcategories of chapter 24, Quality Management?

Answer 33

Software quality, software standards, reviews and inspections, quality management and agile development, software measurement

Question 34

What are the 4 subchapters in chapter 25, configuration management?

Answer 34

release management, change management, system building, and version management