Unified Process

Question 1

What are the phases of the Unified Process, and what do we try to accomplish within them?

Answer 1

The four phases are:

1. Inception - “Should we build it?”
   - We answer the question by creating a basic understanding of who the customer is, what they need and how we might fulfill it
2. Elaboration - “Can we build it?”
   - We answer this by capturing the majority of the functional requirements and figuring out whether we have the ability to create a system that fulfills them all. This also includes finalizing the business case and project plan
3. Construction - “Are we building it?”
   - Through our iterations we make sure to continuously confirm whether we are creating a system that matches our requirements and the users needs
4. Transition - “Have we delivered it?”
   - The system is rolled out, and we focus on correcting defects and modifying the system to correct previously unidentified problems, this phase ends when the product is officially released

Question 2

How do we document the required functionality of a system?

Answer 2

We identify actor goals, which we then develop into workflows. Based on these we develop a use case diagram and brief use case descriptions. Then the use cases are prioritized, and then one by one each is fully described. By now, we have documented the functionality. The implementation of the functionality is then defined by making an SSD, OCs, Communication Diagrams and then lastly updating the design class diagram.

Question 3

How do we plan a project in UP?

Answer 3

We develop a Phase Plan, as a high level plan, outlining the 4 phases and their main milestones, then an iteration plan is made. UP is an iterative development process, where we plan to develop our system through a certain amount of iterations(2-6 weeks long each), that build on top of each other in an incremental manner, while allowing review and changes during each iteration. This also allows visible progress for stakeholders, but also means that development starts before all requirements are defined in detail. This can be described as risk-driven and client-driven planning, where we identify and mitigate risks while focusing on visible features that the client cares the most about.