1. Introduction
1.1 Purpose and Scope
This comprehensive Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) document establishes the foundational framework and detailed procedures for software development at 5X. As a cloud-native organization building sophisticated data platform solutions, our SDLC integrates security, quality, and efficiency throughout the development process. This document provides detailed guidance for all phases of software development, from initial conception through deployment and maintenance, ensuring consistency, quality, and security across all development efforts.
The scope encompasses all software development activities within 5X, including:
Core platform development API development and integration Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Internal tools and utilities Customer-facing applications Automation scripts and tooling Data processing pipelines 1.2 Development Philosophy
Our development philosophy centers on several core principles that guide our approach to software creation:
1.2.1 Security-First Development
Security is not an afterthought but a fundamental aspect of our development process. This manifests through:
Integrated Security Controls:
Security requirements are defined at project inception Threat modeling is performed during design phases Security testing is automated within the CI/CD pipeline Code analysis tools run continuously during development Security reviews are mandatory for all major changes Risk-Based Approach:
Each component undergoes risk assessment Security controls are proportional to risk levels Continuous monitoring for security implications Regular security posture evaluation Proactive vulnerability management 1.2.2 Quality-Driven Development
Quality is embedded throughout our development process through:
Comprehensive Quality Framework:
Automated testing at multiple levels Code quality metrics and thresholds Continuous Improvement:
Regular process evaluation Metrics-based optimization Team feedback incorporation Industry best practice adoption Technology stack evolution 2. SDLC Phases
At 5X, our SDLC phases are designed to ensure the systematic and secure development of our cloud-native data platform. Each phase incorporates specific controls, validation steps, and quality gates to maintain the highest standards of security and reliability.
2.1 Planning and Requirements
The planning and requirements phase serves as the foundation for all development activities at 5X. This critical phase establishes the framework for success by ensuring all stakeholder needs are properly captured, analyzed, and translated into actionable development requirements.
2.1.1 Requirements Gathering Process
Our requirements gathering process follows a structured methodology that combines agile practices with enterprise-grade documentation and validation procedures. This hybrid approach ensures both flexibility and thoroughness in capturing requirements: The requirements gathering phase establishes the foundation for successful development through a structured approach:
Business Requirements Analysis: The business requirements analysis phase employs a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to understanding and documenting both explicit and implicit business needs. This process is designed to capture not only the immediate requirements but also to anticipate future needs and potential system evolution.
Stakeholder Engagement Framework: Our stakeholder engagement process follows a structured methodology that ensures comprehensive coverage of all perspectives and requirements:
Initial Stakeholder Analysis: We begin with a thorough stakeholder analysis that includes:
Primary stakeholders: Direct users and immediate beneficiaries of the system Secondary stakeholders: Indirect users and departments affected by the system Technical stakeholders: Teams responsible for development, maintenance, and operations Business stakeholders: Decision-makers and budget holders External stakeholders: Customers, partners, and regulatory bodies Each stakeholder group undergoes a detailed analysis to understand their:
Primary objectives and success criteria Key concerns and potential risks Technical and operational constraints Security and compliance requirements Requirements Gathering Sessions: We conduct multiple types of requirements gathering sessions, each designed for specific purposes:
Focus on strategic alignment and business objectives Discussion of long-term vision and scalability requirements Review of budget constraints and resource allocation Analysis of market positioning and competitive advantages Evaluation of regulatory and compliance implications Detailed analysis of system architecture requirements Security and compliance specifications Performance and scalability requirements Integration requirements with existing systems Data management and privacy considerations Operational requirements and maintenance needs User Journey Mapping Sessions: Creation of detailed user personas Mapping of end-to-end user workflows Identification of pain points and opportunities Analysis of user experience requirements Documentation of user interface needs Accessibility requirements and considerations Process Analysis Workshops: Detailed mapping of business processes Identification of process optimization opportunities Analysis of automation requirements Documentation of business rules and logic Evaluation of reporting and analytics needs Integration with existing workflows Technical Requirements Analysis: The technical requirements analysis phase transforms business needs into detailed technical specifications through a rigorous, multi-stage process. This phase ensures that all technical aspects are thoroughly considered and documented.
System Architecture Requirements: Our architecture requirements analysis focuses on creating a robust and scalable foundation:
Infrastructure Requirements: Cloud resource specifications and AWS service selection Compute requirements (EC2 instance types, container specifications) Storage requirements (S3, EBS, RDS configurations) Network architecture and connectivity requirements Load balancing and auto-scaling specifications Disaster recovery and backup requirements Geographic distribution and availability zones Performance Requirements: Response time specifications for different operations Throughput requirements for data processing Concurrent user capacity requirements Resource utilization targets Caching requirements and strategies Query performance specifications Batch processing requirements Scalability Requirements: Horizontal and vertical scaling needs Auto-scaling trigger definitions Resource allocation strategies Growth projections and capacity planning Performance degradation thresholds Database scaling requirements Cache scaling specifications Authentication and authorization mechanisms Data encryption requirements (at rest and in transit) Network security configurations Access control specifications Audit logging requirements Compliance-specific security controls Vulnerability management requirements Integration Requirements: API specifications and standards Data exchange formats and protocols Integration patterns and architectures Third-party service integration requirements Authentication and authorization for integrations Error handling and retry mechanisms Integration monitoring requirements Data Management Requirements: Data model specifications Data quality requirements Backup and recovery specifications Data encryption requirements Data access patterns and optimization Monitoring and Observability Requirements: Metrics collection specifications Logging requirements and retention policies Alert definitions and thresholds Performance monitoring requirements Security monitoring specifications 
