Production Software That Works

Foreword

Preface

Part I A Management Perspective on Realtime Software


1 What Is "Realtime Software"?

Operating Systems

Who Should Choose the Operating System?


2 Architecture — The Critical Need

The Historical Perspective

The Legacy

Partitioning the System

How to Recognize an Architect

Homegrown Software


3 Concurrent Engineering and Software Development

Removing the Barriers

The Benefits

Concurrency in Software Development


4 Quality

The Quality Advantage

Quality Is a Management Issue

Valuing the Work

Designing for Quality


5 Establishing System Requirements

Exploring Different Perspectives

Modularity


6 Management Commitment

Staying Involved

Feedback

Part II Preparing and Managing the Software Development Process


7 Understanding the User Environment

Exploring the Territory

Information Requirements

The Political Environment

Learning to Identify Problem Plants

Learning from Experience


8 Developing the Project Organization and Plan

Choosing a Project Manager

Organizing the Team

Successful Team Rules

The Importance of Management Participation

Proposal and Project Plan

Choosing a Planning System

Scheduling the Project

Monitoring the Schedule

Formal Reviews

The Team Role in Problem Solving

The Role of Vendors and Vendor Selection

Criteria for Choosing a Vendor


9 Developing a Requirements Document

The Requirements Specification Document

The Impact of Business Goals on System Requirements

Partitioning the Problem

Adapting the Core Functions

Anticipating Change


10 Controller Analysis and Functional Specifications

Controller Specifications

Controller Analysis


11 Developing Contracts and Work Statements

The Importance of Contracts

Work Statements

Types of Contracts

Specifying Deliverables and Acceptance Criteria

Changing the Scope of the Project

Conflict Resolution

Warranty

Contract or Work Statement Outline

Project Development and Acceptance Test Plan


12 Managing Relationships

Setting Expectations

Compatibility

Managing Problems

Getting More Out of Meetings

Addressing Conflicts

Valuing Differences

The Single Dissenter

Part III Design Methodologies


13 System Architecture

Using Architecture to Structure the System

Partitioning the System

Sizing the Computer System to Meet Requirements

Organizing the Logic

The Effect of Organization Policy on System Design

The Characteristics of a Good Architect

Justifying the Use of an Architect


14 Concurrent Software Development

Mirror Imaging

Reflecting the Business Model in Technical Terms

The Emerging Concept

Creating Software Modules from Functions

Basic Elements of a Realtime System

Starting the Emulation Process

Circles, Shells, and Stubs

How Circles Boost Software Ouality

The Benefits

Rapid Prototype


15 Platforms and Common Development Tools

Software Standards

Off-the-Shelf Software

The Importance of Common Tools


16 Documentation

Requirements Document

Controller Specifications Document

Creating a Top Level Design Document

Detailed Design Document

System User Manual


17 Getting to Project Closure

Team Anxiety and Last Minute Problems

Defining Goodness and Doneness

Phasing Out Resources

Casting Deliverables in Concrete

Reaching Agreement

Incentives

Recovering from Derailment


18 Project Cost Overruns

Estimating Project Costs

Performance Impacts Cost

The Cost of New Technology

Crawl, Walk, Run

Functionality Creep

Establish Thresholds

Contracts

Cost Control Responsibility

Subcontracting Helps Keep Project on Track

Staying on Schedule

Managing Change


19 The Post-Project Analysis

Building on Experience

Finding the Right Person for the Job

The Interviews

Management and Financial Analysis

Project Conclusion and Reports

Appendix: Example Project

Bibliography

Index