SEM Revision 2024-25

Unit One Overview

• The focus of Unit One is the mindset and methodologies in software engineering, emphasizing the principles underlying different software engineering methods.

• Understand that the coursework will not test on memorization of dates or historical facts, but rather on the general understanding and motivations behind methodologies.

Agile Methodology

• Agile is a central methodology, promoting flexibility and iterative progress in software development, derived from manufacturing principles.

• Lean principles aim to eliminate waste and ensure development is executed efficiently by focusing on what is necessary.

DevOps Philosophy

• DevOps merges development and operations to enhance communication and collaboration throughout the software development lifecycle.

• Quality assurance is integral to ensure that all aspects of software development and deployment are optimized.

Scrum Fundamentals

• Scrum defines roles (e.g., Product Owner), processes, and events (e.g., sprints) to facilitate project management.

• Important terminologies include:

  • Product Backlog: Prioritized list of tasks or features to be completed.

  • Common Board: Visual representation of tasks, allowing easy tracking of progress.

  • Sprints: Short, time-boxed periods for completing specific tasks from the backlog.

Collaborative Practices

• Stand-Ups: Quick meetings for team members to discuss progress and blockers.

• Reviews and Retrospectives: Evaluate completed work and identify areas for improvement.

Unit Two Insights

• Content on Git is excluded as it was covered in coursework.

• Lean software development emphasizes:

  • Eliminating waste.

  • Promoting learning and feedback.

  • Empowering teams and ensuring integrity throughout the development process.

Seven Lean Principles

• These include eliminating waste, amplifying learning, designing for change, delivering quickly, empowering teams, building integrity, and seeing the whole.

Unit Three and Four

• Focus here is omitted as no questions will arise from these units.

Unit Five Development Practices

• Continuous integration (CI) and delivery (CD) are crucial for managing software releases efficiently. CI promotes integrating code frequently, allowing for fast feedback and identifying defects early.

Key CI Concepts

• Testing frameworks and automated testing should be established to assess each code change before integration.

• Environments must be configured in a way that supports automated deployments, ensuring all necessary setups are predefined.

Unit Six Exclusions

• The content related to UML diagrams and similar practices is not relevant for the test.

Unit Seven Development Principles

• Incorporating telemetry in software helps teams proactively manage application behavior by providing real-time feedback and insights.

• Metrics and logging facilitate informed decision-making and troubleshooting in production.

Unit Eight: Continuous Delivery Practices

• Continuous Delivery (CD) prepares the team to release software at any time by ensuring the codebase is deployable and all necessary configurations are in place.

• Configuration management should automate environment setup to minimize deployment risks and maintain consistency across releases.

Unit Nine User Feedback

• Effective processes are crucial for gathering user feedback on software functionality, enabling resolution of issues quickly and efficiently.

• Postmortem analyses should focus on learning from errors without assigning blame, fostering an environment that encourages continual improvement.

Unit Ten Legal and Ethical Considerations

• Awareness of key concepts related to data protection, computer security, and ethical software practices is essential. While definitions may not be direct questions, familiarity with them through context is imperative.

Summary and Test Preparation

• Revisions should ensure understanding of underlying concepts rather than rote memorization.

• Being familiar with terminologies, methodologies like Scrum and Agile, and principles underlying DevOps will aid comprehension and recall during the test on Tuesday at 9 a.m. in JC.'