Model of system evolution

Abstract A meta-model of system development is described. The meta-model uses three main concepts; system evolution, system states, and development deliverables. The meta-model sees information systems evolving as they are developed and used. It uses system states to describe and control that evolutionary process. It uses deliverables, which are simply the outcomes of system-development work, to define a system as being in a particular state of evolution. Creating new deliverables causes a change of state. The meta-model can be used to build project-specific development strategies as an alternative to imposing a standard methodology-based approach.

[1]  Bruce I. Blum The life cycle: a debate over alternate models , 1982, SOEN.

[2]  Patrick A. V. Hall In defence of life cycles , 1982, SOEN.

[3]  G. R. Gladden Stop the life-cycle, I want to get off , 1982, ACM SIGSOFT Softw. Eng. Notes.

[4]  Bernard C. Glasson Supporting Controlled Variety in System Development Environments , 1986, Information Systems Design Methodologies: Improving the Practice.

[5]  Anthony I. Wasserman Information system design methodology , 1980, J. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci..

[6]  I. G. Macdonald,et al.  Automating information engineering , 1988 .