System Development and Information Technologies

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary and concepts related to system development, methodologies, maintenance, quality assurance, testing, and business continuity necessary for understanding the processes involved in creating and managing information systems.

System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

A process used by system engineers to guide the development of large, complex information systems.

Requirements Analysis

The process of determining what services a system will provide and how users will interact with it.

Stakeholders

Individuals or groups, such as potential users or legal/financial representatives, involved in requirements analysis.

Feasibility Study

An assessment to determine if development is possible under given constraints and aligns with the organization's mission.

System Requirement Specification (SRS)

A written agreement documenting system requirements that guide system development.

User Requirement

A specific need defined by users that the system must meet.

Corrective Maintenance

Maintenance aimed at removing errors to ensure system functionality.

Adaptive Maintenance

Maintenance performed when organizational changes affect system requirements.

Perfective Maintenance

Maintenance conducted to enhance overall system performance by introducing new or improved components.

Preventive Maintenance

Changes made to increase the lifespan of systems, including code optimization and documentation updates.

Quality Assurance

Processes aimed at improving product quality beyond just debugging, including training and procedure improvement.

ISO 9000

A series of quality management standards aimed at ensuring consistent quality in processes and products.

Testing

The process to check the system for compliance with the requirements and to identify errors.

Pareto Principle

The theory that 80% of errors come from 20% of the system.

Glass-box Testing

Also known as white-box testing, where internal structures and logic of the code are tested.

Black-box Testing

Testing that focuses on user experience without knowledge of the internal software structure.

Alpha Testing

The first stage of testing where developers test a preliminary version of the software.

Beta Testing

A testing stage where a segment of end users test a near-final version of the software.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

The final testing stage where users test the system in an operational setting.

User Documentation

Documentation that explains the system to users, including features access and FAQs.

System Documentation

Internal documentation describing the system's configuration for future maintenance.

Technical Documentation

Documentation detailing installation and maintenance of the system.

Waterfall Model

A sequential method of system development where each step must be completed before the next begins.

Incremental Model

A system development approach where components are built and tested in increments.

Prototyping

Building and evaluating basic versions of a proposed system.

Agile Methodologies

System development approaches that emphasize quick increments and adaptability to changes.

Scrum

An agile methodology consisting of sprints and prioritized objectives for development.

Extreme Programming (XP)

An agile approach that promotes collaboration and rapid iterations in software development.

Business Continuity Plan (BCP)

Plans ensuring core organizational functions continue during disruptive events. plans help define how to resume services to customers and vital business operations, while auxiliary services may remain offline. Data mirroring, data backups, and off-site storage

Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)

Strategies to restore systems after catastrophic events with minimal data loss. rely on solutions to ensure that systems can recover from catastrophic events in a reasonable amount of time with minimal data loss.

Uptime

The percentage of time systems are operational and available to users.

Data Mirroring

A technique where data is simultaneously written to multiple storage devices.

Hot Storage

High-performance data storage solutions that provide quick access to restore critical data. typically involve the latest and greatest storage equipment and the fastest protocols.

Cold Storage

Lower-performance storage solutions that are less expensive, used for infrequent access to data.maintained on minimal equipment that is considered lower performance.

Mobile Computing

Use of portable devices such as smartphones and tablets for computing.

Internet of Things (IoT)

A network of interconnected devices that can communicate and transfer data without human interaction.

Globalization

The growing interdependence of world economies and cultures driven by technology and trade.

Documentation Conventions

Standard practices for writing code to ensure readability and maintainability.

Continuous Maintenance

Ongoing activities after a system is deployed to ensure its functionality and address errors.

End-User Support

Help provided to users for operating and troubleshooting the system.

System Analysts

Professionals who oversee the development process and ensure system requirements are met.

Programmers

Individuals primarily tasked with writing code to implement a system's design.

Off-site

a common solution for disaster recovery.Salt mines and caves are popular locations for physical storage

Suggested Criteria for Assessing Off-Site Storage

Accessibility,Cost,Environment,Geographic area, and securitycurity

What is the component of disaster recovery that is characterized by writing copies of data on several devices simultaneously?

data mirroring

Which physical location offers an ideal place for storage that needs to be off-site?

cave

Which factor is a primary criterion for assessing off-site storage possibilities?

accessibilty

Which type of storage typically uses innovative equipment?

hot