Process Framework Maintenance

Definition

Process Framework Maintenance

the process engineering task during which the process team iterates and extends the process framework and its associated documentation (e.g., to remove unnecessary process component classes, to fix defects in existing process component classes, and to extend the framework with additional process component classes)

Classification

As illustrated in the preceding figure, process framework maintenance is part of the following inheritance hierarchy:

• Type: Concrete
• Superclass: Tasks
• Subclasses: None

Responsibilities

The typical objectives of process framework extension are to:

• Make the process framework more complete so that new processes can be constructed out of existing method components.

Preconditions

Process framework maintenance typically can begin when the following preconditions hold:

• The process team is properly staffed and trained in process framework maintenance.
• Either a needed method component (i.e., process component class):
  • Requires iteration to be useful.
  • Is found to be missing from the repository of reusable method components.

Completion Criteria

Process framework maintenance is typically complete when the following postconditions hold:

• Never because the process framework of method components may never be complete due to the evolution of methodology and process engineering.

Steps

Process framework maintenance typically involves the following teams performing the following steps:

• Process Team:
  • Identify the need for an additional method component.
  • Develop the additional method component.
  • Evaluate the method component for correctness and consistency with the rest of the process framework’s method components.
  • Extend the process framework by:
    • Adding the new method component into the process framework’s repository of method components.
    • Placing the method component under configuration control.
    • Documenting the new method component.

Techniques

Process framework maintenance can typically be performed using the following techniques:

• Reification of method components.
• Repository storage.

Work Products

Process framework maintenance typically results in the production of the following work products:

• Method Components (i.e., process component classes)
• Method Description Document

Guidelines

• Make sure that the required process component class does not already exist in the repository, potentially under a different name.
• Only extend the process repository if the new component class is potentially reusable.
• Where practical, modify existing reusable component classes to make them more generic rather than create a new and potentially redundant process component class.
• This task can be performed either as part of a development endeavor or as part of a general reuse effort.