Global software processes definition in a distributed environment

Keyphrases distributed environment global software process definition global software process different organizational culture global software development project software process process definition organizational structure common language team member business domain term project milestone global team. Powered by:. Transparency Description Access Hide differences in data representation and how a resource is accessed Location Hide where a resource is located Migration Hide that a resource may move to another location Relocation Hide that a resource may be moved to another location while in use Replication Hide that a resource is replicated Concurrency Hide that a resource may be shared by several competitive users Failure Hide the failure and recovery of a resource.

Consequently, attempting to mask a transient server failure before trying another one may slow down the system as a whole. It is better to send the print job to a busy nearby printer, rather than to an idle one at corporate headquarters in a different country. Recognizing that full distribution transparency is simply impossible, we should ask ourselves whether it is even wise to pretend that we can achieve it. Goal: offer services according to standard rules that describe the syntax and semantics of those services.

Goals : an open distributed system should also be extensible. Scalability of a system is measured with respect to:. Size - can easily add more users and resources to the system.

Geographic extent - a geographically scalable system is one in which the users and resources may lie far apart. Administrative scalability - can be easy to manage even if it spans many independent administrative organizations.

Concept Example Centralized services A single server for all users Centralized data A single on-line telephone book Centralized algorithms Doing routing based on complete information. O local-area networks provide reliable communication based on broadcasting, making it much easier to develop distributed systems.

For example, consider the problem of locating a service. Hiding communication latencies - important to achieving geographical scalability. O typical case - accessing databases using forms. The difference between letting a a server or b a client check forms as they are being filled. Distribution - splitting a component into smaller parts and spreading those parts across the system. O The DNS name space is hierarchically organized into a tree of domains, which are divided into nonoverlapping zones.

O Resolving a name means returning the network address of the associated host. The server for Z2 will return the address of the server for zone Z3, which is capable of handling the last part of the name and will return the address of the associated host. An example of dividing the DNS name space into zones.

Solution: replicate components across a distributed system. O Weak consistency — e. O Strong consistency — e. False assumptions that everyone makes when developing a distributed application for the first time by Peter Deutsch :.

The network is reliable. The network is secure. The network is homogeneous. The topology does not change. Latency is zero. Bandwidth is infinite. What are the benefits and problems that engineers see with GSD?

How have they tried to improve GSD coordination? These are interesting questions to be addressed in an empirical con-text. In this paper, we report on the results of a large-scale survey of software engineers at Microsoft Corporation. Schedule a meeting to discuss Finally, if the process, the templates and the artifacts the process and the suggestions are coherent with the organizational needs, the Process Owner can publish the global software process in the Update the artifacts according organization Intranet.

After the process definition to suggestions activities, it is necessary to institutionalize the GSP in different sites. The institutionalization policies are not Validate the changes in the artifacts the focus of this paper.

But the idea is that the Process Owner should develop a common training material and each site is responsible for training the employees. Case Study Close the first version of the global software process [Approved] This research is exploratory in nature and based on case study [6].

The case study was developed in an organization focused in global software development. The data collection research instrument and data analysis are described in the section 4. Both sites were The Process Owner is responsible for defining the distant geographically: one was located in South America software process and the process artifacts.

Frequent and the other in Asia. In this paper, we refer the first one meetings with team members should be done to discuss as Site A and to the other one as Site B. The qualification of the team Site A and B intend to achieve the third maturity level members is very important to assure the process quality. The team members should have knowledge about the CMM defines levels of process improvement in software organizational environment and the process area. Each succeeding level indicates an The first software process draft should be sent to the improvement in the institutionalization of project Process Reviewers.

The dispersed team should review management and software development methodologies the artifacts proposed locally. The Process Reviewer within an organization. In this particular case study, the proposed environment; b addresses the organization needs; and c practices were used to specify 12 processes. Many teams is following the practices proposed by a software quality Process Owner and Reviewers in Site A and B were model.

The first part Software Engineering Process Group and grouped in identifies the aspects that have caused positive and teams of 3 to 5 members.

These aspects were defined and there are some representatives composing the global based on global software development literature e. They The processes goals and the roles assumed by each are: cultural differences, different time zone, English site are summarized in the Table 1. They are: team size. Processes defined achieve others CMM maturity levels.

The second data analyses 4. Impact Factors in GSPD section was done using the Intelligent Miner tool3 that permits to discover association rules between the global factors and the questions that evaluate the practices used 4.

Survey in GSPD. The algorithm available in the tool, called Apriori, is described in [8]. A systematic and rigorous approach is required to develop measuring instruments. Intending to evaluate the 4. As showed, the global factors that have caused e. Other point pre-existent processes, the communication infrastructure, mention were that the center A does not have any idea on the team trust, and the team size.

Just the time zone how the center B reacts in front of some critics made by difference has caused strong negative impact in GSPD. For example, they agree with the process, In order to understand how this impact ratings were but the center A is not sure that the center B is following achieved it is necessary to analyze each factor in detail.

Table 2. Global Factors Measurement 4. Time zone difference. Table 2 shows that the temporal answ ered distance i. The temporal distance can be reduced Difference time zone 29 57 14 0 using asynchronous and synchronous communication.

If Positive Impact English language 5 14 81 0 the temporal distance is great, as in this case study 12 Pre-existent processes 14 10 76 0 hours , typically asynchronous technologies are used to Communication support communication. On the Organizational structure 14 33 52 0 other hand, asynchronous communication is not so rich Team trust 10 5 81 5 Team size 19 10 71 0 as synchronous communication: it does not convey Cultural differences 5 48 43 5 information such as the speed and tone of voice, facial Difference time zone 19 14 62 5 information, body language, pauses, etc.

Therefore, Negative Impact English language 5 57 33 5 synchronous communication is more effective and helps Pre-existent processes 29 38 29 5 to solve conflicts faster. However, synchronous Communication communication can be costly for employees who infrastructure 14 52 29 5 complain about the need to compromise personal life to Organizational structure 24 33 38 5 have meetings with the distant colleagues. This latest Team trust 19 43 29 10 issue was the main reason why Site A employees judged Team size 14 62 19 5 time zone negatively in the survey.

Cultural differences. According to Carmel [4], 4. English language. One of the main problems in the culture provides members with images of their basic global software development is the language barrier, i.

The author describes two basic considering that this language is not an official language types of culture difference: nationality, the most obvious, of any site. All the artifacts were written in English and and the organizational structure.