DoD Software Systems
DoD Software Systems
 Characteristics of DoD S/W Development
 Evolution of DoD S/W Development
 Learning from the Commercial World
 Additional Technologies
 Approach and Implementation
Characteristics of DoD S/W
Development
 It’s a Government Acquisition
• Competitive bidding, development specification part of RFP
• Awarded to and, designed and implemented by civilian
contractor(s)
• Contractor has personnel requirements
• Contractor has procurement and reporting rules
• And adherence to DoD and military standards
RFP: Request for Proposal
Characteristics of DoD S/W
Development
 Approach and Implementation
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Extensive planning
Long delivery schedule (IOC)
Process driven
Formal project management
Rigorous quality control
Oversight/formal reviews
Documentation intensive
 Sequenced Activities
• Defined by DoD or military standard
• Interim design reviews
• Verification activities
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
Characteristics of DoD S/W
Development
 In Most Cases it’s Requirements Driven
 Requirements Can Get to be Volatile
• Long delivery cycles means folks have time to think
• Risk management activities are key to managing
requirements
 Development Requires Focus on Minimizing Volatility
Risk
Military Flight Simulator
Simultec Full Mission Simulator
Depicted: Cockpit w/ Yoke, Throttle & Rudders
Instrument Panel w/ Heads Up Display (HUD) and Multifunction Displays (MFDs)
Instructor Operator Station (IOS)
Military Flight Simulator
It’s the Software That
Makes it all Work!
Software Behind the Scenes …This is what the trainer looks like.
Evolution of DoD S/W
Development
 Moore’s Law Helps Explain the Advancement of
Technology Which Benefits
• Processing speed
• Disk capacity
• Memory capacity
 Working with the Hardware
• Initially programming the hardware required intimate
knowledge of the target H/W
• From machine code/assembly language
• Towards independence from target H/W
• And to the mature complier tools we use today
Moore’s Law: The number of components in an integrated circuit doubles approximately every two years.
Evolution of DoD S/W
Development
 Evolution of Languages
• Languages used to develop DoD applications numbered
over 400
• Different languages for different problems
• Focus now is more of extensions to the more recent
languages; C++
 Language Standardization/Extensions
• Wrappers/Plug-ins
• Math Libraries/Special Functions/Reuse
• Reusable standards/components
 Maintenance on Legacy Systems Still Biggest Cost;
Fortran, Pascal, Jovial, Ada…
Evolution of DoD S/W
Development
 Process Models
• Originally ads-hoc development
• Adoption of disciplined approach introduce less defects,
meaning less rework
• SEI’s CMMI establishes levels of maturity
• ISO 9001 establishes quality standards for software
products
 Variation of Approaches have Evolved
• Waterfall
• Evolutionary (incremental, spiral, agile…)
Evolution of DoD S/W
Development
 Moving Towards Adopting Commercial Practices
• Tailor processes to developer’s best practices
• Leverage on evolving and maturing development standards
and methods
• Application under development determines the approach
 Development Methods have Evolved
• Structured Analysis / Structured Design
• Object Oriented
• Agile
 It’s iPhone vs Space Shuttle
Learning from the Commercial
World
 Development Flexibility
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Agile vs disciplined balanced development approach
Tailored engineering work products
Reduced documentation
Testing approaches
 Scaling is Key
• Scope
• Team
• Time
Additional Technologies
 Information Assurance / Cyber Security
 Architectures
 Maintenance
 Configuration Management
 Logistics
Architecture Models for
Integrating S/W
Can’t Do It Without A Team
 It’s a team effort that goes into the success of the
software design/development
and
 It’s the individual talent within the team that ensures
the team’s success
Personnel/Team Capability
Trumps All
References
 Cook, David A., CrossTalk Journal of Defense Software
Engineering, CrossTalk and Software – Past, Present and Future.
 Hinchcliffe, Dion, Architectures, http:hinchcliffe.org.
 Boehm, Barry, Software Engineering Economics.
 Jones, Capers, CrossTalk Journal of Defense Software Engineering,
Defense Software Development in Evolution.
 Kennedy, Matthew, CrossTalk Journal of Defense Software
Engineering, An Agile Systems Engineering Process.
 Cook, David A., CrossTalk Journal of Defense Software
Engineering, Evolutionary Trends in Programming Languages.