The software process and its challenges

Looking at the software process models that have been developed in the past years will aid in
understanding the software process ,its importance , benefits and disadvantages.

1. From a software process perspective, briefly discuss the major benefits and
limitations of software development in the cloud

Software process, also known as software methodology is a set of related activities that
deals with assessing , supporting and improving software development activities
(Elgabry, 2017).All these activities taken results in production of a system or a software
product that is highly beneficial to a user or an organization. A cloud-centered software
development environments are now popular in comparison to normal or traditional
environments. Many organizations have used software process improvement and
assessment to understand which processes make sense when it comes to software
development since the 1980s. A few models have been created but the most utilized by
the software companies are CMMI and SPICE (Ensslin et al., 2012).

Benefits

Cloud software development allows companies to develop on cloud platforms , this is

Platform as a Service (PaaS). This is beneficial for software’s that require continuous
subscription fees and minimum subscription fees increase as the software usage
increases. This is regarded a best approach to develop software’s on cloud compared to
physical location and hardware.(Cocco, Mannaro and Concas, 2012).
This approach allows workflows and current process to be improved , delays on the
development phase are minimized , system maintenance charges for outsourced cloud
providers is low(Cocco, Mannaro and Concas, 2012).

Looking at the PaaS , SaaS and IaaS, SPICE (ISO/IEC 15.504) was created utilizing the
software constant assessment execution and improvement process approach for the
platform or the system. These continuous models present a way to organizations to
organize the procedure and business regions to be improved as per their field-tested
strategies and business plans.
CMMI has followed the progressions and it has two models: (A) constant and (B) by
stages. Work created by specialists has been distributed with a proposition to encourage
a portion of the challenges in the models' selection, for instance: how to recognize the
obstructions in an association from the point of view of programming evaluation and
improvement forms and the assurance of basic achievement factors. In this instance
cloud-based development will be always be subjected to software process improvement
and assessment reviews since we live in an agile and fast-paced world(Ensslin et al.,
2012)
Building Applications on Cloud Platforms is a lot quicker contrasted with traditional in-
house Applications for organizations. Cloud platforms have their own database, security,
work process, UI, and different instruments that help in building incredible business
applications, versatile applications, and Web site applications. Taking note of the whole
Application is facilitated on cloud, clients need not stress over IT Infrastructure,
Upgrades, updates, uptime and reinforcements(Patidar, Rane and Jain, 2011)

Limitations

Traditional software development has always been hard to understand , non-progressive

and quite expensive ,developing software’s and providing service over the internet came
to the rescue.

There are challenges associated with cloud software development. There are challenges
that software development on cloud and distributed computing have independently. For
instance, a significant test of administrations figuring is to deal with the runtime QoS of
coupled services including distributed cloud providers. Cloud computing does not help
address difficulty through asset allocation and virtualization. Then again, cloud software
development battles both with furnishing inter-operability across various mists and with
the quick improvement of, and adjustment to, ever-changing business conditions and
prerequisites(Yau and An, 2011)

Cloud software development improvement process involves different stages, equally

distributed web benefits, various ventures topographically scattered everywhere
throughout the world. Existing programming methodologies, software process and
structure exercises won't be satisfactory except if collaboration with cloud suppliers is
incorporated in the requirements gathering stage so far included clients and
programming engineers. Since requirement changes of cloud software development are
the significant reason for expanded complexity, timetable and spending slippage. Joining
changes at a later phase of the software development life cycle expands the cost of the
project exponentially.(Patidar, Rane and Jain, 2011)

To state a specific capability level, an association must follow an assessment process

which needs to show that the organization satisfies different necessities specified in
ISO/IEC 15504-5 procedure evaluation model. This model is somewhat unpredictable
since it incorporates numerous ideas that are interrelated in a very complex manner. So
as to evaluate the capability level of a specific procedure, an association may utilize
competent assessors who know the ISO/IEC procedure evaluation model; they can
 check through markers what process results are set up, rate process properties and
decide the accomplished capability level(Proença and Borbinha, 2018)

2. Conduct a critical analysis of the most commonly used software process

assessment and improvement models, i.e. CMMI ISO/IEC 15504 (SPICE).

Looking at two mostly used software process assessment and improvement models and
how are beneficial for organizations to achieve their desired process improvement level.

CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) is a notable and normalized model for
surveying, examining and improving the advancement procedures of software
development. May be utilized to improve the procedures taken in a project or for a whole
organization. The present adaptation of CMMI is on version 1.2 and It was distributed in
2006. Presently it is being embraced all over the world. CMMI is a replacement to CMM
and has its underlying foundations in the requirement for Software Project Process
Management and Improvement framework but it can also be used in other sectors for
instance hardware production and other services.(Ehsan et al., 2010). CMMI itself is
neither a procedure nor an application. It comprises of set of rules that when applied can
improve the general organizing, procedures of association,

CMMI characteristics of maturity levels :

LEVEL 5 “ Optimizing ” = Emphasis on process and upgrading

LEVEL 4 ” Quantitatively managed ” = Process measured and controlled

LEVEL 3 “ Defined “ = Proactive process characterized for the

organization

LEVEL 2 “ Managed “ = Reactive process characterized for projects

LEVEL 1 “ Initial “ =unpredictable processes , reactive & uncontrolled

It is a structure that supports associations to build up their procedures. CMMI comprises

of numerous process areas. One process area would comprise of related activities. All in
all, CMMI comprises of 22 process areas as of today. CMMI also offers constant and
arranged presentations. Procedure improvement is increasingly adaptable in the
continuous representation(Ehsan et al., 2010)

The SPICE (Software Process Improvement and Capability Evaluation) was started in
1993 as a project to help the creation and approval of the ISO/IEC 15504 International
 Standards for software process evaluation. SPICE norms incorporate notable global
reports that comprehensively de-note ISO/IEC 15504 (Process evaluation) and
developing ISO/IEC 33000 processes. SPICE is performed utilizing a procedure
evaluation strategy portrayed in ISO/IEC 15504-2 against a procedure evaluation model
(PAM1)(Jung, 2013). ISO/IEC 15505-2 comprise of capacity levels which also comprise
of the process qualities and further comprise of practices, work items and assets. It
causes assessors to give a general assurance of associations' capacities for conveying
items, be it a system or product(Proença and Borbinha, 2018)

ISO/IEC 15505-2 SPICE levels and attributes :

LEVEL 5 “ Optimizing “ =Process innovation , constant optimization

LEVEL 4 “ Predictable “ =Process measurement , process control

LEVEL 3 “ Established “ =Process definition , process deployment

LEVEL 2 “ Managed “ =Performance management , work product management

ISO/IEC 15504 gives a manual for performing assessments. This incorporates the
procedure of evaluation; evaluation model and evaluation tools. ISO/IEC 15504 SPICE
guarantees the maturity of processes in an organization. It first evolved from the merger
of CMM, Trillium and Bootstrap. IOS/IEC 15504 supplements existing assessment
approaches also, for example, CMM, ISO 9000 and so forth. It may be utilized for both
process evaluation and capability determination. It covers extremely significant
components of IT, programming improvement and for each SPICE process area; a
characterized ability level can be accomplished(Ehsan et al., 2010)

3. What changes would you recommend for CMMI and SPICE to enable their
continued relevance as future software process assessment and improvement
models?

The below will apply to CMMI :

Its proven that for CMMI to stay relevant it must be integrated with other methodologies ,
like Six Sigma. An expanding number of papers have been circulated about associations'
effective joining of CMMI and SIX Sigma. This means all CMMI project will be
implemented as Six Sigma, The Six Sigma is simply a measure of quality that strive for
near perfection in the organization.(Kamalakshi and Naganna, 2009). Small and medium
sized corporates tend not to use CMMI , some of the existing processes for CMMI need
to be tailored and capability maturity levels to accommodate small and medium sized
organizations(Niazi and Babar, 2009)

The below will apply for SPICE :

ISO/IEC 15504-5 must be utilized for both catching procedure data and for the trading of
data among different instruments and different clients so that the organization can
decide how they want to use it(Proença and Borbinha, 2018).This will allow SPICE to
stay relevant. SPICE has been criticized for focusing on the “Software Engineering”
while it can extend to other sectors(Rout et al., 2007). SPICE can be extended to other
domains and stay relevant in the field of process assessment and improvement.
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