Homework 5, CS510, Fall 2003
Due Monday Noon, Oct. 20, 3 questions, 60 points

1. (30 points) This package provides the detail for a series of COCOMO™ II software cost estimation exercises involving a Library Selective Distribution of Information (LSDI) System. This package includes:

After reading the package, complete the two LSDI cost estimation exercises at the end.

LSDI Architecture Summary: Socal University (SCU) has three major campuses, each of which has a main library which will provide LSDI services. Each of three campuses operates a server running a COTS client-server library services package. The COTS package provides Internet capabilities enabling a client at any campus to deal with any of three servers.

The SCU Library, Computer Sciences Department, and Computing Services Operation have been funded to develop an experimental Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) system to provide SCU users with information about new library acquisitions of interest. It will do this by comparing attributes of new library acquisitions with interest profiles provided by library users. The grant provides $850K to develop the system.

The SDI software will acquire data on recent library acquisitions, compare it with library user interest profiles, generate user notices, and support query, browsing, and request functions for the new acquisitions. It will have a number of subsidiary functions for user interest profile management, access control, user interface functions, and usage monitoring. It will communicate with users via the COTS client-server package.

Candidate Software Functions

COCOMO™ II software development and cost drivers

Some of the COCOMO™ II cost drivers are associated with hardware options to be specified in the next section. Below are the ratings determined for the reminder of the LSDI system cost drivers. Most of them are the same for all of the candidate software functions; any differences are identified on the following page

Effort Multipliers:

Scale Factors:

Hardware Options

There are two hardware options for SDI functions. Processor X is a more mature but slower processor, with better tool support. Processor Y is a fast, new processor with a lower level of tool support and virtual machine experience. A summary of their comparative cost/performance/risk feature is as follows:
 

Processor X

Processor Y

COCOMO™ TIME rating

High

Nominal

COCOMO™ PEXP rating

Nominal

Low

COCOMO™ TOOL rating

High

Nominal

Nominal response time

5 sec

1 sec

System development risk

Low

High

Hardware cost

$12K

$30K


 

Do the following two COCOMO™ II LSDI Cost Estimation Exercises:

1) Develop a pair of conservative software development cost and schedule estimates for the LSDI system. covering the use of both Processor X and Processor Y, and using the following assumptions:

- Include all of the candidate software functions, and use their largest options.
- Use the indicated cost drivers for Processor X and Y.
- Use $6,300/person-month as the cost for all personnel.

2) Using the same parameters as above, determine a processor and appropriate subset of LSDI functions and options which fits within the available budget of $850K

2. (15 points) Work problem 10.12 in Software Engineering Economics. Assume program size is in KSLOC. Instead of "organic mode" of COCOMO™ 81, use COCOMO™ II with Nominal effort multipliers and the following scale factor ratings: PREC = FLEX = TEAM = Very High; RESL = PMAT = Low

3. (15 points) Work problem 11.7, again using KSLOC and the same scale factors as in problem 2, but with the following effort multiplier ratings: ACAP = PCAP = CPLX = RELY = High