a) Describe the steps that must be taken to build and implement a new software release to a widely distributed group of customers. Use diagram(s) to help illustrate your answer, where appropriate.
(14 marks)
b) What problems might you, typically, encounter?
(6 marks)
Marking Guidelines
There are 14 steps in the above diagram, including the decision point after testing. As a guide, one mark for each well-explained step - up to 14 Marks in total.
b)
1. Items such as test data may not be under full configuration management control causing build errors.
2. Difficulties devising and implementing appropriate back-out plans; for example, a release to implement an entirely new business process or legislative change when use of the previous version is not possible.
3. After testing, the release is copied directly into the live build environment(s) -instead of being re-built from the DSL - and it fails.
4. Software could be corrupted during transmission.
5. Software distribution could fail because the address is not on the CMDB.
6. Co-ordination problems during implementation such as;
- unless automated tools are available, human procedures must ensure that distributed software arrives when expected, is checked and brought into use when required - these procedures can result in error;
- time differences at (international) remote sites;
- the size and scale of the operation may mean that the distribution has to be spread over an elapsed time;
- additional processes and procedures at remote sites, for example archiving superseded versions.
1 mark for each of the above well-reasoned points, or similar - 6 marks in total
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