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.