Elaboration Phase - One of the phase of Rational Unified Process

The life cycle for a project under the context of the rational unified process is known to consist of the following four phases:

1. Inception phase

2. Elaboration phase

3. Construction phase

4. Transition phase

Here we shall discuss about the second phase of the unified process i.e., the elaboration phase. In Rational Unified Process, the four phases represent the process at a high level although the iterations that are carried out in every phase of development are the key to the process. 

Each phase here is provided with an objective and a milestone. It is necessary to have a milestone for each so that it could be decided that when and where a particular phase is ending and the next one is starting. All the above phases as well as the process disciplines are visualized in to what is called an “RUP hump chart”. 

About Elaboration Phase in Rational Unified Process

- The primary objective of the elaboration phase is defined as the mitigation of the key risk items whose identification is done by the analyzation of the whole phase from the beginning till the end. 

- It is here in the elaboration phase where the project starts taking the shape. - In elaboration the following 2 basic things take place:

1. The analyzation of the problem domain is done.

2. Basic form is given to architecture. 

- The following are the outcomes of the elaboration phase:

1. A use case is obtained in which both the actors and use cases have been identified. This use – model consists of most of the developed use – case descriptions. It is required that this use – case model should be at least 80 percent complete. 

2. A description concerning the architecture of the software system in a development process. 

3. An architecture that is executable and realizes the use cases which have an architectural significance. 

4. A revised risk list.

5. A revised business case.

6. A plan for the overall development of the project. 

7. Prototypes which give a demonstration on the mitigation of the identification of the technical risks. 

8. An optional preliminary user manual.

- There is a milestone criteria called the life cycle architecture milestone which involves answering the following questions:

1. Stability of the architecture?

2. Stability of the vision of the product?

3. Have the major risk elements been addressed and resolved and has been indicated by the executable demonstration?

4. Has the sufficient detailing has been done for the construction phase plan and is it accurate?

5. Have all the stakeholders agreed for achieving the current vision using the current plan under the current architectural context?

6. Is the expenditure of planned resource vs. actual resource acceptable?

- It is important that the project should pass this milestone and if it doesn’t there are 2 possibilities:

1. It can either be redesigned or

2. It can be cancelled.

- However, when the project leaves this phase, the project is transitioned in to an operation that involves high – risk i.e., to say here the changes are quite detrimental as well difficult to be made. 

- The system architecture serves as the key domain analysis for the elaboration phase. 

- The basic thing here is addressing of the major technical risks threatening the project. 

- Another thing is to have a bare system which provides answers to all of the major technical questions. 

- Once all the questions have been answered by the end, the development team will know whether a working system can be successfully built or not. 

Inception Phase - One of the phase of Rational Unified Process

There are 4 phases which together constitute the rational unified process namely:

1. Inception phase
2. Elaboration phase
3. Construction phase
4. Transition phase

This article is dedicated entirely to the first phase of the unified process i.e., the inception phase. The major development takes place in the iterations of development which are carried out within each phase. All of the above four phases have their unique key objective as well as milestones.

The accomplishment of the objective is denoted by the milestone. An RUP hump chart is used for the visualization of all the four phases of the rational unified disciplines and phases over the time. 

Objective of Inception Phase

- The primary objective of the inception phase provide adequate scope to the software system or application as a basis on which the validation of the budgets and initial costing could be done.

- The inception phase involves the establishment of a business case which is inclusive of the following:

1. Business context
2. Success factors such as the market recognition, expected revenue and so on.
3. Financial forecast

- In order to complement the business case, the following things are generated:

1. A basic use case model
2. Project plan
3. Initial risk assessment
4. Project description which in turn includes the following:

    a)   Key features

    b)   Constraints and

    c)   The core project requirements

- Once the generation of the above mentioned sources is complete, the verification of the project begins against the following criteria:

1. Stake holder concurrence on the following:

  a)   Cost estimates

  b)   Schedule estimates and

  c)   Scope definition

2. Understanding of the requirements as per the evidence obtained by the fidelity of the use cases.
3. Credibility of the following:

  a)   Cost and schedule estimates

  b)   Priorities

  c)   Development process and

  d)   Risks involved

4. The depth and breadth that was developed for any architectural prototype.
5. Establishment of a base line using which the planned expenditures and actual expenditures can be compared.

- If for one or the other reason the project is unable to pass the milestone (commonly termed as the life cycle objective mile stone) then there are only two possibilities after redesigning the program (for meeting the criteria in a better way) as mentioned below:

1. It can be cancelled or
2. It can be repeated

- This phase is involved with launching the project. 

- A proper business case can be developed for the project. 

- It is by the end of the inception that the development team comes to whether to carry on with the project or not. 

- In inception phase, one can see a core idea being developed in to a vision for a product. 

- In this phase may reviews, discussions, etc. are carried out regarding the business case involved in the project. 

- The scope of the project is delimited in the inception phase and also the product feasibility is established. 

- This is perhaps the smallest of all the phases of a project and also according to its ideal nature it should be short. 

- If the duration of the inception phase is too long it indicates that there has been an excessive up – front specification (even though this goes against the spirit of the rational unified process.).

What are Rational Unified Process building blocks?

Whenever we talk about iterative software development process frame works, the first name that comes to our minds is of the rational unified process. It is not just a single hard coded prescriptive process rather it is quite an adaptable and flexible process frame work. 

This frame work comes with several facilities, the best one being that your organization can tailor it according to their needs. 

What is Rational Unified Process?

- Unified process when specifically implemented is called as the rational unified process. 

- Rational unified process is counted among the best products of IBM and the credit for its development goes to the rational software division.

- The RUP comes with a hyper linked base consisting of the descriptions of several types of activities and a few sample artifacts. 

- A part of the IBM’s rational method composer (RMC) is occupied by the rational unified process.

- It allows the users to customize the process as per their needs. 

What are building blocks of Rational Unified Process?

In this article we are to talk about the building blocks of the rational unified process.

- These basic best practices of the rational unified process were developed as a result of the combination of the experience of many companies. 

- The building blocks are:

1. Iterative development with risk as its primary iteration driver.
2. Management of the requirements.
3. Employment of an architecture based up on components.
4. Visual modeling of the software.
5. Continuous verification of the quality.
6. Controlling the changes

- These best practices are used in the following two ways:

1. For driving the development process of the rational’s products.
2. To be used by the rational’s field teams so as to assist the customers in improving the predictability as well as the quality of the software development efforts.

- The task involves the assembling of the explicit process framework for the field of modern software engineering. 

- The delivery mechanism developed by the objector was based up on the HTML and employed in accomplishing this task.

- This task resulted in the creation of the rational unified process. 

- A set of content elements or the building blocks form the foundation for the rational unified process and give a description of the product that is to be produced and the required necessary skills. 

- They also give a detailed step by step explanation for achieving the specific development goals. 

Now we shall list all the building blocks of the rational unified process and discuss them in detail:

1. Roles: This building block can be defined as set consisting of related skills, responsibilities as well as competencies.
2. Work products: This building block gives the representation of thing that would result when a task would be completed inclusive of all the models and documentation produced during the course of the completion of that task.
3. Tasks: This building block gives a description of the units of works that are assigned to an element from the role which will produce a result that would be meaningful.

There are 9 disciplines in to which the tasks are categorized within each iteration. There are 6 engineering disciplines and 3 supporting disciplines which together make up total 9 disciplines. The 6 engineering disciplines are:

1. Business modeling
2. Requirements
3. Analysis and design
4. Implementation
5. Test and
6. Deployment

The following are the three supporting disciplines:

1. Configuration and change management
2. Environment and
3. Project management

The organization and the management of the above mentioned building blocks need to be solid and flexible in order to make the rational unified process a success which otherwise cannot be achieved. 

Unified process as a heavy defined process VS an Agile unified process approach

Unified process is another process in the list of the iterative and incremental processes apart from the agile processes. There are so many refinements and variations of the unified process as mentioned below:

1. RUP or Rational Unified Process: A refinement of the Unified process developed by the IBM/rational software.
2. RUP- SE or Rational Unified Process - System Engineering: This is a version of the rational unified process developed by the rational software for catering to the needs of the system engineering.
3. AUP or Agile unified process: It is a lightweight variation that was developed by Scott W. Ambler.
4. OpenUP or Open unified process: It is the eclipse process frame work software development process.
5. BUP or Basic unified process: It is also a lightweight variation but developed by the IBM. It is kind of a precursor to Open UP.
6. EssUP or Essential unified process: Another light weight variation developed by the Ivar Jacobson.
7. EUP or enterprise unified process: It is an extension of the RUP or the rational unified process.
8. OUM or oracle unified method: A development and implementation process developed by the oracle.

So you see that the agile unified process is a refinement of the unified process! So what is the difference between the two? This is what we have discussed in the article. Actually there is a subtle difference between the two in the way that they categorize the project work flows and the disciplines. 

Disciplines addressed by RUP

There are nine disciplines that are addressed by the rational unified process as mentioned below:

1. Business modelling
2. Requirements
3. Analysis and design
4. Implementation
5. Test
6. Deployment
7. Configuration and change management
8. Environment
9. Project management

9 disciplines is a big count! The agile refinements of the unified process simplify the whole rational unified process further and reduce the above mentioned nine disciplines to a lesser count making the whole development process simple and short. 

Points of Comparison between RUP and AUP

- Unified process though being quite an advance process for developing the software but it provides quite a heavy approach. On the other hand the agile unified processes are quite light. 

- These processes provide a way of streamlining the rational unified process by minimizing the number of the expected artifacts and simplify the whole work flow. 

- The UP and the AUP also vary in their specifications of what happens after the completion of the transition phase.

- In the agile unified processes, the transition phase is followed by a production phase rather than by a new inception phase in the case of the unified process.

- There are countless numbers of the unified process refinements and variations. 

- There are 4 phases in a unified process namely:

1. Inception phase
2. Elaboration phase
3. Construction
4. Transition

In addition to the above 4 mentioned phases, the agile unified processes go through the two additional phases namely: 
    1. The retirement phase and
    2. The Production phase.

The below mentioned are the philosophies up on which the agile processes are based:

1. The development knows what is being done.
2. Simplicity is maintained.
3. The whole process confirms to the principles and values of the agile software.
4. Focus is on high value activities.
5. It is tool independent.

The agile unified process makes use of two types of iterations namely:

1. Development release iteration: deployment to the quality assurance and
2. Production release iteration: deployment to the production area.