Download CIT BSc (Hons) Software Dev Exam: Software Eng & People Management - Stage 3 and more Exams Software Engineering in PDF only on Docsity!
Cork Institute of Technology
Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Software Development – Stage 3
(KSDEV_8_Y3)
Autumn 2008
Software Engineering 1
(Time: 3 Hours)
Answer any FIVE questions. Dr. Mel O Cinneide All questions carry equal marks. Mr. Martin Donnelly Mr. John O’Brien
Q1. (a) What is software engineering? [3 Marks]
(b) Discuss, briefly, each of the following software characteristics: (i) Software is engineered; it is not manufactured in the classical sense. (ii) Software doesn’t “wear-out”; rather it “wears-in”. (iii) Most software continues to be custom built. [9 Marks]
(c) A software process is a set of activities that leads to the production of a software product. It may involve the development of software from scratch, extending and modifying existing systems, and/or configuring and integrating off- the-shelf software or system components. There is, however, no ideal software process. Discuss. [8 Marks]
Q2. (a) Effective management is concerned with managing the people in an organisation. Project managers have to solve technical and non-technical problems by using the personnel in their team(s), in the most effective way possible. Write a brief note on each of the following critical factors in people management: (i) Consistency. (ii) Respect. (iii) Inclusion. (iv) Honesty.^ [6 Marks]
(b) Software development, generally, is a team/group-based activity. Therefore, putting together a group that works effectively is a critical management task. A development group that contains complementary personalities may work better than a group selected solely on technical ability. Discuss. [8 Marks]
(c) The workplace has important effects on employee performance and job satisfaction. There is a real and significant cost in failing to provide good working conditions. write a brief note on each of the following environmental factors, identified in a study by McCue in 1978: (i) Privacy. (ii) Outside awareness. (iii) Personalisation. [6 Marks]
Q3. (a) There is no simple way to make accurate estimates of the effort required to develop a software system. However, organisations do need to make estimates of effort and cost. Explain, briefly, the circumstances where each of the following estimation techniques could be applied: (i) Algorithmic cost estimation; (ii) Expert judgement; (iii) Estimation by analogy; (iv) Parkinson’s law; (v) Pricing to win. [5 Marks]
(b) Describe, in detail, the evolution of algorithmic cost estimation models as used for software development projects. Support your presentation with suitable illustrations. [15 marks]
Q4. (a) A systems view of project control describes such control in terms of the system to be controlled, the entity that controls the system, and the information that is used to guide the decision process. Identify, and describe briefly, three categories of variables that play a role in controlling a system. [6 Marks]
(b) The control mechanism best suited to any given situation depends on relevant characteristics of the project at hand. Software project-characteristics may be categorised into the following classes: ¾ Product characteristics; ¾ Process characteristics ¾ Resource characteristics Project management and control interest lies in the degree of certainty of the above-identified project characteristic categories. Describe each of the following software project scenarios in terms of the above- identified project characteristic categories: ¾ Realisation problem; ¾ Allocation problem; ¾ Design problem. In each case, suggest: (i) An appropriate software development approach; (ii) An appropriate cost-estimation technique/approach. [9 Marks]
(c) Project planning involves the scheduling of all activities such that constraints are satisfied and resource limits are not exceeded. Discuss, briefly. [5 Marks]
