Integration Planning

Definition

Integration planning is the integration task during which the other integration tasks are planned.

Objectives

The objectives of integration planning are to document the endeavor’s plans for integrating the:

• Components of an application or business enterprise.
• Elements of a component or framework.

Preconditions

Integration planning can typically begin when the following preconditions hold:

• The initiation phase has begun.
• The integration team has been adequately:
  • Staffed.
  • Trained in integration planning.

Completion Criteria

Integration planning is typically complete when the following postconditions hold:

• The integration plan has been:
  • Completed by the integration team.
  • Passed evaluation by the integration inspection team
  • Been accepted by the customer representative.

Steps

Integration planning typically involves the integration team performing the following steps in an iterative, incremental, parallel, and time-boxed manner:

• Locate, obtain, and read the appropriate conventions:
  • Content and Format Standard.
  • Inspection Checklist.
  • Documentation Template.
• Use the template to create a blank specification or document.
• Fill in the front matter.
• Fill in the introduction section.
• Fill in the integration activity overview section by documenting its:
  • Definition
  • Objectives
  • Preconditions
• Determine and document the responsibilities of the associated teams and roles.
  • Integration Team
  • Integration Inspection Team
• Determine and document the integration tasks to be performed:
  • Component Integration
  • Configuration
  • Installation
  • Integration Reporting
• Determine and document the integration environments and tools.
• Determine and document the integration order (e.g., in terms of major components and techniques)
• Complete the appendices.
• Perform informal integration-team internal peer-level inspection.

Techniques

Integration planning can typically be performed using the following techniques:

• Content and Format Standards
• Templates

Work Products

Integration planning results in the production of the following work products:

• Integration Plan.

Guidelines

• Reuse information from the integration part of the process description document.