Introduction to Unified Process - Different stages in Unified Process

The Unified Process is a use-case driven, architecture-centric, iterative and incremental software process designed as a framework for UML methods and tools. The Unified Process is an incremental model in which five phases are identified:

- Inception Phase
It encompasses both customer communication and planning activities and emphasizes the development and refinement of use cases as a primary model. Incremental nature of the ensuing project is developed. In general, a use-case describes a sequence of actions that are performed by an actor as the actor interacts with software.

- Elaboration Phase
It encompasses the customer communication and modeling activities focusing on the creation of analysis and design models with an emphasis on class definitions and architectural representations. Elaboration refines and expands the preliminary use cases that were developed as part of inception phase and expands the architectural representation to include five different views of software - use case model, analysis model, design model, implementation model and deployment model.

- Construction Phase
It refines and then translates the design model into implemented software components. To accomplish this, analysis and design models started during elaboration phase are completed to reflect the final version of software increment.

- Transition Phase
It transfers the software from the developer to the end user for beta testing and acceptance. The software team creates the necessary support information that is required for release. At the end of this phase, the software increment becomes a reusable software release.

- Production Phase
In this, it is an on-going monitoring and support are conducted. This phase coincides with the deployment activity of generic process.

It is possible that work may have already begun on next software increment at the same time when the construction, transition, and production phases are conducted.