Components of Software Maintenance Process

Maintenance is the process in which changes are implemented either by modifying the existing system’s structure or by adding new components to the system. System requirements are changing fast and to meet this requirement some changes are incorporated and maintained in the system. The maintained system remains useful in their working environment. Maintenance is applicable to software developed using any software life cycle model. Maintenance is required to correct the faults, implement enhancement, improve the design, adoption of the environment, etc. Different types of software maintenance are present nowadays like corrective maintenance, adaptive maintenance, effective maintenance, and preventive maintenance.

Components of the software maintenance process:

1. Change Request

In the maintenance process initially, the request for change is made.

2. Change Management

In this place, the status of all the change requests is identified and described.

3. Impact Analysis

Following activities are performed in this place:

• Identify all the systems and the system products affected by a change request.
• Make an estimate of the resources needed to effect the change.
• Analyze the benefits of the change.

4. System Release Planning

In this phase, the schedule and the contents of the software release are planned. The changes can be made to all types of software maintenance.

5. Change Implementation

The implement of changes can be by first designing the changes, then coding for these changes, and finally testing the changes. Preferably the regression testing must be performed while testing the changes.

6. System Release

During software release, following points should be described:

• Documentation
• Software
• Training
• Hardware Changes
• Data Conversion