ES101: Software Size Estimation using FPA

• An Overview of FPA
  • Benefits of using Function Points
  • Types of FP counts (Development, Enhancement and Application)
  • Function Point analysis
  • Techniques to obtain FP Count
  • Detailed Function Point Analysis (DFPA) concepts
    • Application boundary and Elementary processes
    • Data at Rest (Internal Logical Files: ILF & External Interface Files: EIF)
    • Data Element types (DET, RET)
    • Data in Motion (External Input: EI, External Output: EO & External Queries: EQ)
  • Overview of
    • Quick Function Point Analysis (QFPA)
    • Mark II FPA
    • Cosmic FPA
    • Feature Points
• Detailed FPA Technique
  • Overview of DFPA technique
  • Types of Elementary processes – Data at rest, Data in motion
  • Steps involved in DFPA
    • Determining application boundary
    • Calculating data and transaction FP count
    • Identifying and classifying types of files
    • Rules for counting DETs and RETs
    • Identifying transaction types
    • Identifying EIs, EOs and EQs
    • Determining complexity rating and FP count
    • Calculating Value Adjustment Factor
    • Concept of General System Characteristics (GSC)
    • Calculating the final FP Count

ES102: Software Effort and Schedule Estimation:

• Basic concepts of Effort and Schedule Estimation
  • The need for estimation
  • Factors affecting estimation
  • Methods for estimating size
    • Estimation by Analogy
    • Estimation by Function Points
  • Methods for estimating effort
    • Estimating using historical data
    • Estimating using algorithmic approach
  • Estimating schedule and cost
  • Effect of quality on estimation
  • Measuring effort and schedule
  • Effect of modes of software development on estimation
    • Organic
    • Semi-detached
    • Embedded
  • Calibration of the estimates
  • Multiplicative factors that effect estimation
    • Scaling factors
    • Cost drivers
• Process for Effort and Schedule Estimation
  • Effort and schedule estimation process
  • Cost estimation
  • Factors influencing effort estimation
  • Effort as a basis for estimating schedule
  • Steps in effort and schedule estimation
  • Relevance of cost models
  • Calculating nominal effort and adjusted effort
  • Adjusting effort for schedule constraints
  • Determining Schedule

• Effort and Schedule Estimation Models
  • Estimation models & parameters affecting the estimation
  • Cost estimation models & techniques
  • Concept of Macro (Top Down) & Micro (Bottom Up) Cost Estimation Approach
  • Features & Capabilities of cost estimation models
  • Common cost estimation models
    • COCOMO 81
    • COCOMO II
    • Putnam’s SLIM
  • Effect of cost factors on productivity
  • Common cost estimation tools
    • Costar
    • SEER-SEM
    • PRICE S
    • SLIM Estimate

ES103: Effort and Schedule Estimation using COCOMO II:

• An Overview to COCOMO II
  • Evolution of COCOMO II
  • Cost drivers applied in COCOMO II
  • COCOMO II models
    • Application Composition model
    • Early Design model
    • Post-Architecture model
  • Benefits of using COCOMO II
  • COCOMO II – equation for calculating effort
  • Effort multipliers
  • Scale driver ratings & factors affecting project effort
  • Adjusting COCOMO II for reuse, reengineering and maintenance work

• Application Composition Model
  • Object point estimation
  • Steps for estimating effort

• Early Design Model
  • Calculating unadjusted function points
  • Converting unadjusted function points into SLOC
  • Early design model equation
  • Early design model cost drivers
  • Steps for effort and schedule estimation

• Post-Architecture Model
  • Categories of cost drivers
    • Product
    • Platform
    • Personnel
    • Project
  • Rating cost drivers
  • Determining SLOC
  • Scale factors and effort multipliers
  • Post architecture model equation