Overview
Software development life cycle is process to design, develop, test and implement a software. It provide us a way to develop such a software that meets user requirements.
The Software Development Life Cycle is a structured approach that defines various phases involved in software development. It ensures that software is built methodically, within budget, and aligned with user requirements. SDLC improves the efficiency, predictability, and quality of software projects
Importance
SDLC is important, because it provide us way to develop software by breaking whole task into smaller pieces. By this, we become able to develop reliable software.
Phases

There are following phases to complete software.
- Planning
- Requirements Gathering and Analysis
- Design
- Implementation / Coding
- Testing
- Deployment
- Maintenance
Planning
First phase of SDLC is planning. In this phase, software dveloper team plan how to develop, how much cost is required and also time management is included in this phase.
This step is very importanant as everything done in future will depend on the basis of definition. The scope of system is established at this stage. Sometimes, it become curtail project limits due to time, finantial or time constraints.There may be alternate solutions to develop system. First of all, identify all the solutions and choose best one according to requirements.
Requirements
In this phase, analysts would sumup all requirement for system to be design in future. The develop system should satisfy these during testing phase.
Here, in this phase analysts must fillup all the requirements regarding project by discussing with team members and manager. After that, all these requirements must be converted in written form that would be submitted to manager. Inteviewing clients, managers, suppliers and competitors will helfull in gathering information.
- Another method to collect information regarding project questionnairs from many people as we like. It is very easy method than interviewing.
- Observation is also very helpful to make successful software. Analyst team may go and watch working of teams who are working on relevant project
Design
- Define how the system will meet the requirements.
- Plan architecture, components, data flow, and user interfaces.
- Reduce ambiguity before coding starts.
- Identify potential risks or issues in advance
Implementation
The Implementation Phase is where the actual software is built. Based on the design documents from the previous phase, developers start writing the code to create the software system.
The next step coding. In this phase after designing, programmer writes progams that will be coupled together in the shape of complete system . It take alot of time, efforts and budget of programmer. The program specifications, flowcharts and algorithms given to programmer to make successful system.
Testing
Next step is testing. In this phase, software being testing . It ensures that developed system is free of errors and able to work.
- Verify the functionality and performance of the software
- Identify and fix bugs
- Validate that the software meets the business and technical requirements.
Deployment
The Deployment Phase is a crucial part of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), where the developed and tested software is moved into the live production environment and made available for end-users. This phase ensures the software is properly installed, configured, and accessible while minimizing disruption and risk.
- Deliver a working, fully tested product to the production environment
- Ensure the software performs correctly in the real-world environment
- Provide end-users with access and support
- Transition the system from development/testing to live use smoothly
Maintenance
The Maintenance Phase is the final and longest-running stage of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). While earlier phases focus on building and deploying the software, this phase ensures the system continues to perform reliably and evolves with changing needs. It is critical for the long-term success and usability of any software application.
- Ensure continuous operation of the software in the production environment
- Fix bugs and issues that emerge post-deployment
- Improve performance and efficiency
- Adapt to new requirements (legal, business, or technical)
- Extend the lifespan of the software with updates and upgrades
FAQ’s
7 phases of the system development life cycle
sdlc in cybersecurity
What is Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SSDLC )?
Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SSDLC) ensures that computer programs are built with security in mind right from the beginning. It involves planning, designing, coding, testing, deploying, and maintaining software while consistently addressing security concerns at each step.