Software Maintenance
Software maintenance is a part of the Software Development Life Cycle. Its primary goal is to modify and update software application after delivery to correct errors and to improve performance. Software is a model of the real world. When the real world changes, the software require alteration wherever possible.
Software Maintenance is an inclusive activity that includes error corrections, enhancement of capabilities, deletion of obsolete capabilities, and optimization.
Need for Maintenance
Software Maintenance is needed for:-
- Correct errors
- Change in user requirement with time
- Changing hardware/software requirements
- To improve system efficiency
- To optimize the code to run faster
- To modify the components
- To reduce any unwanted side effects.
Thus the maintenance is required to ensure that the system continues to satisfy user requirements.
Types of Software Maintenance
1. Corrective Maintenance
Corrective maintenance aims to correct any remaining errors regardless of where they may cause specifications, design, coding, testing, and documentation, etc.
2. Adaptive Maintenance
It contains modifying the software to match changes in the ever-changing environment.
3. Preventive Maintenance
It is the process by which we prevent our system from being obsolete. It involves the concept of reengineering & reverse engineering in which an old system with old technology is re-engineered using new technology. This maintenance prevents the system from dying out.
4. Perfective Maintenance
It defines improving processing efficiency or performance or restricting the software to enhance changeability. This may contain enhancement of existing system functionality, improvement in computational efficiency, etc.