Practitioners – serie

Thought-provoking perspectives on how computers and people interact This intriguing collection of essays and overviews presents new insights and perspectives into the roles that computers and digital technology have played and could play in society. The thirty-four essays were originally published in the IEEE Computer Society's flagship magazine Computer. The essays are grouped, each with a substantial overview and extensive discussion points, and all written by Neville Holmes, one of the foremost authorities in the field. Computers and People has six main chapters:* The Basis of Computing considers what technology is, and why digital technology is particularly significant in today's world.* Computers So Far details how computers have been used and misused, questioning many common beliefs and practices.* Computers and Education argues that the greatest potential benefit of digital technology is in education, and examines reasons why this potential is ignored in so many areas.* Computing and Professions takes a close look at the nature and role of the computing profession, but brings out issues that are important to all professions.* The Potential of Computing suggests several ways in which digital technology might be used to greatly benefit different areas of society.* Facing the Future looks at the major problems facing the world and at how digital technology and computing professionals could help mitigate these problems. The book is intended for anyone interested in learning more about the true nature and significance of digital technology. Not only will it instill a greater appreciation of the possible dangers and benefits of digital technology in our society, but it will also promote understanding of how much more digital technology could benefit society and what kind of professionals are needed to fully realize its potential.

This practical, user-friendly handbook specifically addresses software companies that are interested in implementing effective improvement processes into the daily work life of every employee. A wealth of checklists, templates, exercises, tips, and pitfalls to avoid make it easy for readers to integrate quality awareness into their organization’s day-to-day processes at every level.

This book provides thorough knowledge of Linux TCP/IP stack and kernel framework for its network stack, including complete knowledge of design and implementation. Starting with simple client-server socket programs and progressing to complex design and implementation of TCP/IP protocol in linux, this book provides different aspects of socket programming and major TCP/IP related algorithms. In addition, the text features netfilter hook framework, a complete explanation of routing sub-system, IP QOS implementation, and Network Soft IRQ. This book further contains elements on TCP state machine implementation,TCP timer implementation on Linux, TCP memory management on Linux, and debugging TCP/IP stack using lcrash

This is the most authoritative archive of Barry Boehm's contributions to software engineering. Featuring 42 reprinted articles, along with an introduction and chapter summaries to provide context, it serves as a "how-to" reference manual for software engineering best practices. It provides convenient access to Boehm's landmark work on product development and management processes. The book concludes with an insightful look to the future by Dr. Boehm.

A comprehensive collection of benchmarks for measuring dependability in hardware-software systems As computer systems have become more complex and mission-critical, it is imperative for systems engineers and researchers to have metrics for a system's dependability, reliability, availability, and serviceability. Dependability benchmarks are useful for guiding development efforts for system providers, acquisition choices of system purchasers, and evaluations of new concepts by researchers in academia and industry.This book gathers together all dependability benchmarks developed to date by industry and academia and explains the various principles and concepts of dependability benchmarking. It collects the expert knowledge of DBench, a research project funded by the European Union, and the IFIP Special Interest Group on Dependability Benchmarking, to shed light on this important area. It also provides a large panorama of examples and recommendations for defining dependability benchmarks.Dependability Benchmarking for Computer Systems includes contributions from a credible mix of industrial and academic sources: IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, Critical Software, Carnegie Mellon University, LAAS-CNRS, Technical University of Valencia, University of Coimbra, and University of Illinois. It is an invaluable resource for engineers, researchers, system vendors, system purchasers, computer industry consultants, and system integrators.

Software project managers and their team members work individually towards a common goal. This book guides both, emphasizing basic principles that work at work. Software at work should be pleasant and productive, not just one or the other. This book emphasizes software project management at work. The author's unique approach concentrates on the concept that success on software projects has more to do with how people think individually and in groups than with programming. He summarizes past successful projects and why others failed. Visibility and communication are more important than SQL and C. The book discusses the technical and people aspects of software and how they relate to one another. The first part of the text discusses four themes: (1) people, process, product, (2) visibility, (3) configuration management, and (4) IEEE Standards. These themes stress thinking, organization, using what others have built, and people. The second part describes the software management principles of process, planning, and risk management. Part three discusses software engineering principles, the technical aspects of software projects. The fourth part examines software practices giving practical meaning to the individual topics covered in the preceding chapters. The final part of this book continues these practical aspects by illustrating a sample project through seven distinctive documents.

The industry’s most outspoken and insightful critic explains how the software industry REALLY works. In Great Software Debates, Al Davis, shares what he has learned about the difference between the theory and the realities of business and encourages you to question and think about software engineering in ways that will help you succeed where others fail.In short, provocative essays, Davis fearlessly reveals the truth about process improvement, productivity, software quality, metrics, agile development, requirements documentation, modeling, software marketing and sales, empiricism, start-up financing, software research, requirements triage, software estimation, and entrepreneurship. He will get you thinking about: The danger of following trends and becoming a ‘software lemming’Is software development art or engineering?How to survive management mistakesThe bizarre world of software estimationHow to succeed as software entrepreneurHow to resolve incompatible schedules and requirementsIf you are in the software industry and do not know which way to turn, Great Software Debates provides valuable and insightful advice. Whether you are a software developer, software manager, software executive, entrepreneur, requirements writer, architect, designer, or tester, you will find no shortage of sound, palatable advice.

Key problems for the IEEE Computer Society Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP) Certification Program IEEE Computer Society Real-World Software Engineering Problems helps prepare software engineering professionals for the IEEE Computer Society Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP) Certification Program. The book offers workable, real-world sample problems with solutions to help readers solve common problems. In addition to its role as the definitive preparation guide for the IEEE Computer Society Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP) Certification Program, this resource also serves as an appropriate guide for graduate-level courses in software engineering or for professionals interested in sharpening or refreshing their skills. The book includes a comprehensive collection of sample problems, each of which includes the problem's statement, the solution, an explanation, and references. Topics covered include:* Engineering economics* Test* Ethics* Maintenance* Professional practice* Software configuration* Standards* Quality assurance* Requirements* Metrics* Software design* Tools and methods* Coding* SQA and V & V IEEE Computer Society Real-World Software Engineering Problems offers an invaluable guide to preparing for the IEEE Computer Society Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP) Certification Program for software professionals, as well as providing students with a practical resource for coursework or general study.

A complete toolkit for implementation of Earned Value Management Performance-Based Earned Value uniquely shows project managers how to effectively integrate technical, schedule, and cost objectives by improving earned value management (EVM) practices. Providing innovative guidelines, methods, examples, and templates consistent with capability models and standards, this book approaches EVM from a practical level with understandable techniques that are applicable to the management of any project.Clear and unambiguous instructions explain how to incorporate EVM with key systems engineering, software engineering, and project management processes such as establishing the technical or quality baseline, requirements management, using product metrics, and meeting success criteria for technical reviews. Detailed information is included on linking product requirements, project work products, the project plan, and the Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB), as well as correlating technical performance measures (TPM) with EVM. With straightforward instructions on how to use EVM on a simple project, such as building a house, and on complex projects, such as high-risk IT and engineering development projects, it is the only book that includes excerpts from the PMI®'s Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®), CMMI, the EVM System standard, systems engineering standards, federal acquisition regulations, and Department of Defense guides.Performance-Based Earned Value allows both novices and experienced project managers, including project manager of suppliers and customers in the commercial and government sectors; software and systems engineering process improvement leaders; CMMI appraisers; PMI members; and IEEE Computer Society members to: Incorporate product requirements and planned quality into the PMBConduct an Integrated Baseline ReviewAnalyze performance reportsPerform independent assessments and predictive analysisEnsure that key TPMs are selected, monitored, and reportedIdentify the right success criteria for technical reviewsDevelop techniques for monitoring and controlling supplier performanceIntegrate risk management with EVMComply with government acquisition policies and regulationsWritten by Paul Solomon and Ralph Young, internationally recognized industry experts, Performance-Based Earned Value is constructed from guidance in standards and capability models for EVM, systems engineering, software engineering, and project management. It is the complete guide to EVM, invaluable in helping students prepare for the PMI®-PMP® exam with practical examples and templates to facilitate understanding, and in guiding project professionals in the private and public sectors to use EVM on complex projects.(PMI, PMBOK, PMP, and Project Management Professional are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.)

Bridging the gap between information security and strategic planning This publication is a reflection of the author's firsthand experience as an information security consultant, working for an array of clients in the private and public sectors. Readers discover how to work with their organizations to develop and implement a successful information security plan by improving management practices and by establishing information security as an integral part of overall strategic planning. The book starts with an overview of basic concepts in strategic planning, information technology strategy, and information security strategy. A practical guide to defining an information security strategy is then provided, covering the "nuts and bolts" of defining long-term information security goals that effectively protect information resources. Separate chapters covering technology strategy and management strategy clearly demonstrate that both are essential, complementary elements in protecting information. Following this practical introduction to strategy development, subsequent chapters cover the theoretical foundation of an information security strategy, including:* Examination of key enterprise planning models that correspond to different uses of information and different strategies for securing information* Review of information economics, an essential link between information security strategy and business strategy* Role of risk in building an information security strategy Two separate case studies are developed, helping readers understand how the development and implementation of information security strategies can work within their own organizations. This is essential reading for information security managers, information technology executives, and consultants. By linking information security to general management strategy, the publication is also recommended for nontechnical executives who need to protect the value and security of their organization's information.

The Pentium Chronicles describes the architecture and key decisions that shaped the P6, Intel's most successful chip to date.  As author  Robert Colwell recognizes, success is about learning from others, and Chronicles is filled with stories of ordinary, exceptional people as well as frank assessments of "oops" moments, leaving you with a better understanding of what it takes to create and grow a winning product.

Software process definition, documentation, and improvement should be an integral part of every software engineering organization.  This book addresses the specific documentation requirements in support of the CMMI-SW® by providing detailed documentation guidance in the form of:  Detailed organizational policy examples.An Integrated set of over 20 deployable document templates.Examples of over 50 common work products required in support of assessment activities.Examples of organizational delineation of process documentation. This book provides a set of IEEE Software Engineering Standards-based templates that support the documentation required for all activities associated with software development projects. The goal is to provide practical support for individuals responsible for the development and documentation of software processes and procedures.  The objective is to present the reader with an integrated set of documents that support the requirements of the CMMI-SW® Levels 2 and 3.  This book is meant to both complement and extend the information provided in Jumpstart CMM®/CMMI® Software Process Improvement Using IEEE Software Engineering Standards.  Jumpstart provides a detailed mapping of both the CMM® and the CMMI-SW® to the IEEE standards set and provides a logical basis for the material contained within this text.It is hoped that this book will provide specific support for organizations pursuing software process definition and improvement.  For organizations that do not wish to pursue CMMI® accreditation, this document will show how the application of IEEE Standards can facilitate the development of sound software engineering practices. It also comes with a CD-Rom.

This Seventh Edition of Donald Reifer's popular, bestselling tutorial summarizes what software project managers need to know to be successful on the job.The text provides pointers and approaches to deal with the issues, challenges, and experiences that shape their thoughts and performance. To accomplish its goals, the volume explores recent advances in dissimilar fields such as management theory, acquisition management, globalization, knowledge management, licensing, motivation theory, process improvement, organization dynamics, subcontract management, and technology transfer.Software Management provides software managers at all levels of the organization with the information they need to know to develop their software engineering management strategies for now and the future. The book provides insight into management tools and techniques that work in practice. It also provides sufficient instructional materials to serve as a text for a course in software management.This new edition achieves a balance between theory and practical experience. Reifer systematically addresses the skills, knowledge, and abilities that software managers, at any level of experience, need to have to practice their profession effectively.This book contains original articles by leaders in the software management field written specifically for this tutorial, as well as a collection of applicable reprints. About forty percent of the material in this edition has been produced specifically for the tutorial."The challenges faced by software project managers are the gap between what the customers can envision and the reality on the ground and how to deal with the risks associated with this gap in delivering a product that meets requirements on time and schedule at the target costs. This tutorial hits the mark by providing project managers, practitioners, and educators with source materials on how project managers can effectively deal with this risk."—Dr. Kenneth E. Nidiffer, Systems & Software Consortium, Inc."The volume has evolved into a solid set of foundation works for anyone trying to practice software management in a world that is increasingly dependent on software release quality, timeliness, and productivity."—Walker Royce, Vice President, IBM Software Services-Rational

A comprehensive look at General automata and how it can be used to establish the fundamentals for communication in human-computer systems Drawing on author Eldo C. Koenig's extensive expertise and culling from his thirty-four previously published works, this seminal resource presents knowledge structures for communication in Human-Computer Systems (HCS) based on General automata. The resulting model provides knowledge representations for software engineering. Of the many features required for a method to achieve the desired communication in HCS, Knowledge Structures for Communications in Human-Computer Systems identifies six of them in great length-extracting and storing the knowledge of sentences; knowledge association; deductive processes; inferences; feedback; and sequencing of knowledge-along with illustrations for achieving them by the General Automata Method. After presenting the analysis for each feature, the book includes practical applications that illustrate the results. Koenig also describes algorithms and programs that achieve some of the features, and provides readers with additional algorithms and further research. Richly illustrated throughout to elucidate concepts, Knowledge Structures for Communications in Human-Computer Systems is an excellent teaching text suitable for both academic and industrial settings.