Which software maintenance type helps to make changes and adaptations to software?
Nuances of Software MaintenanceThe life of your software does not end when it finally launches. In reality, the software maintenance has just begun. Show
Software is always evolving and it is never finished as long as it is used; partly to accommodate for the ever changing world we live in. The evolution of your software might be motivated by a variety of reasons; to keep the software up and running, upgrade to the latest release, enhance features or to rework the system for future maintainability. No matter the motivation, software maintenance is vital for the evolution and success of it. Investing in any project should encompass a reassuring process from the software development company that is inclusive of feedback and modifications every step of way. This process should help clients understand it will have to undergo changes if proper functionality is desired. Understanding the different types of changes your software can go through is important to realize that software maintenance is more than just bug fixing. In fact, a study suggests that over 80% of software change is attributed to non bug related changes. There are four categories of software change:
Corrective ChangeCorrective change, most commonly referred to as “bugs,” is the most typical change associated with maintenance work. Corrective changes address errors and faults in your software that could affect various areas of your software; design, logic or code. Most commonly, these changes are sprung by bug reports created by users. It is important to note that sometimes problem reports submitted by users are actually enhancements of the system not bugs. Adaptive ChangeAdaptive change is triggered by changes in the environment your software lives in. An adaptive change can be triggered by changes to the operating system, hardware, software dependencies and even organizational business rules and policies. These modifications to the environment can trigger changes within other parts of your software. For example, updating the server, compilers, etc or modifications to shipping carriers and payment processors can affect functionality in your software. Perfective ChangePerfective changes refers to the evolution of requirements and features in your existing system. As your software gets exposed to users they will think of different ways to expand the system or suggest new features that they would like to see as part of the software, which in turn can become future enhancements to the system. Perfective changes also includes removing features from a system that are not effective and functional to the end goal of the system. Surprisingly, 50-55% of most maintenance work is attributed to perfective changes.
 Preventive ChangePreventive changes refer to changes made to increase the understanding and maintainability of your software in the long run. Preventive changes are focused in decreasing the deterioration of your software in the long run. Restructuring, optimizing code and updating documentation are common preventive changes. Executing preventive changes reduces the amount of unpredictable effects a software can have in the long term and helps it become scalable, stable, understandable and maintainable. ConclusionSoftware Maintenance is an essential part of the software development life cycle; it is necessary for the success and evolution of your system. Maintenance on software goes beyond fixing “bugs”, which is one of the four types of software change. Updating the software environment, reducing its deterioration over time, and enhancing features to satisfy user needs are all examples of maintenance work. Next time you think about maintenance and software change keep in mind that it is much more than “bug” fixing. Today’s computer technology increases productivity and a variety of other things. Software maintenance keeps your software updated, so you have access to new features as well as fixes to any issues the previous software version had. Here is more about software maintenance, its benefits, and the negative results of neglecting to maintain your software. What Are the Four Categories of Software Maintenance?There are four categories of software that help ensure the software as a whole operates as intended. Corrective Software MaintenanceCorrective software maintenance is also referred to as bug fixing. This type of software maintenance involves flaws in the code, design, and logic of the software. Corrective software maintenance is the delivery to correct faults. This system maintenance makes the software easier to use. When your software is not performing as it should, the reason could be it requires one or multiple updates because there are flaws with the software development. If corrective maintenance tasks consume most of your time, consider focusing on:
If you notice and repair flaws in the software before users do, preventive or adaptive maintenance is suitable. However, if you make the necessary software adjustments after receiving bug reports from users, taking corrective maintenance action is best. Adaptive Software MaintenanceAdaptive software maintenance helps you update and modify software when the software’s platform changes because of policies, technology, laws, or operating systems. This type of maintenance also helps when a user needs the software to interact with new software or hardware, or you predict software defects that will affect future customers. Suppose your goal is to change the software’s environment. In that case, there will be additional changes with another part of the software, such as the processors, updates, compilers, and the overall functionality of the software. Perfective Software MaintenancePerfective software maintenance occurs when you update the software’s system to make it more valuable by meeting the user’s needs. When you invest in this type of software engineering, you aim to:
This perfective maintenance process accounts for more than 45% of maintenance activities and is often initiated by customers' feedback. Preventive Software MaintenancePreventive maintenance occurs when you change the software to prevent future errors. Different preventive maintenance
tasks include reconstructing and optimizing the code and updating the documentation. This type of maintenance enhances software maintainability by reducing challenges and other complexities. The Importance of Software MaintenanceMaintaining your software product is a form of corrective maintenance that enables you to expand the software's life cycle by completing various tasks. Bug FixesThings go wrong, and that’s okay, but when things go wrong with your software, you need to make changes to ensure the software performs at optimal levels. Many bug fixes include issues with code, design, or the overall product that may need to be revamped. Sometimes a bug fix can be as simple as changing one part of the software’s engineering, and other times you may need to invest more time into the development of the software. Improved Performance with Regular UpgradesRegularly upgrading a software product gives users more control. Upgrades are a part of perfective maintenance. Regular updates are an essential part of software security and the overall maintenance process. These updates help keep the software running as smoothly as possible. Adapt to a Changing EnvironmentIf there’s one thing you know about technology, it's that it’s continuously changing. Your software needs to keep up with the changes and remain relevant. Sometimes when a software’s environment changes, you have to make major changes, and other times, minor changes suffice. Regardless of the changes, you have to make, changes are necessary to ensure the software remains functional. Predictive Cash FlowWith predictive cash flow, you learn how to turn your IoT into action by using intelligent analytics. Predictive cash flow gives you power when you understand your business's health by helping you mitigate risks before they become significant issues. What Does Software Maintenance Include?Software maintenance is an umbrella term that describes different steps that are taken to improve the development of software. This software engineering process can include:
Maintaining software for any system is essential for adapting to change as time progresses. How Do You Maintain Software?Software maintenance is a crucial aspect of deploying any type of software product. The key to success is letting your users guide you with their feedback. You should also continuously update your software and ensure it includes new features. Consider different rights reserved that state the terms and other clauses that inform users of what you expect of them and what they can expect from your software. Software maintenance will never be a thing of the past. Make sure you do everything you can to ensure your product is beneficial by being a solution that can solve different problems. Which type of software maintenance is related to adapt software to a different operating environment?Adaptive software maintenance has to do with the changing technologies as well as policies and rules regarding your software. These include operating system changes, cloud storage, hardware, etc.
What is adaptive software maintenance?Adaptive maintenance is the modification of software to keep it usable after a change to its operating environment. Many factors can change an application's environment, including new technical knowledge, hardware and security threats.
What are the 4 types of software maintenance?There are four types of maintenance, namely, corrective, adaptive, perfective, and preventive. Corrective maintenance is concerned with fixing errors that are observed when the software is in use.
Which software maintenance is used to update software to keep up with the ever changing environment?Adaptive Maintenance - This includes modifications and updations applied to keep the software product up-to date and tuned to the ever changing world of technology and business environment.
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