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The spiral model starts with an initial pass through a standard waterfall lifecycle, using a subset of the total requirements to develop a robust prototype. After an evaluation period, the cycle is initiated again, adding new functionality and releasing the next prototype. This process continues, with the prototype becoming larger and larger with each iteration. Hence, the "spiral." The theory is that the set of requirements is hierarchical in nature, with additional functionality building on the first efforts. This is a sound practice for systems where the entire problem is well defined from the start, such as modeling and simulating software. Business-oriented database projects do not enjoy this advantage. Most of the functions in a database solution are essentially independent of one another, although they may make use of common data. As a result, the prototype suffers from the same flaws as the prototyping lifecycle described below. For this reason, the software development team has decided against the use of the spiral lifecycle for database projects. Advantages - High amount of risk analysis
- Good for large and mission-critical projects.
- Software is produced early in the software life cycle.
Disadvantages - Can be a costly model to use.
- Risk analysis requires highly specific expertise.
- Project's success is highly dependent on the risk analysis phase.
- Doesn't work well for smaller projects.
When to use this model - For a typical shrink-wrap application, the spiral model might mean that you have a rough-cut of user elements (without the polished / pretty graphics) as an operable application, add features in phases, and, at some point, add the final graphics.
- The spiral model is used most often in large projects.
- The US military has adopted the spiral model for its Future Combat Systems program.
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