What was the "software crisis" of the 1960s, and how did it lead to the creation of software engineering? What problems did this new discipline aim to solve?
The "software crisis" refers to the challenges of building large, complex software systems in the 1960s,
leading to frequent project overruns and failures. This prompted the development of software engineering as a discipline,
to introduce structured methods and tools for better managing software projects.
What are Agile methods and the Waterfall model in software development, and how are they different?
The Waterfall model follows a linear, step-by-step approach, while Agile focuses on iterative development and flexibility.
Agile allows for continuous feedback and changes throughout the development process, unlike Waterfall's rigid structure.
Why does Netflix intentionally shut down its servers randomly, and how does this help their software?
Netflix uses Chaos Monkey to randomly shut down servers to test the resilience of its system and ensure it can handle unexpected failures.
This strengthens their infrastructure by identifying weaknesses before they cause major outages.
What is open-source software, and why do big companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon contribute to it?
Open-source software is software with publicly available source code that anyone can modify and share.
Companies contribute to open-source to foster innovation, improve collaboration,
and benefit from community-driven improvements.
Why can maintaining software sometimes be more costly than building it initially, and how does technical debt contribute to these higher maintenance costs?
Maintaining software can be costly due to the need for continuous updates, bug fixes, and adaptations for new technologies. Technical debt,
caused by quick fixes or suboptimal coding practices,
increases long-term maintenance costs as systems become harder to modify.
References:
CIO. Agile vs. waterfall: Project methodologies compared
https://www.cio.com/article/194093/agile-vs-waterfall-project-methodologies-compared.html
Medium. The Netflix Simian Army
https://netflixtechblog.com/the-netflix-simian-army-16e57fbab116
opensource. What is open source?
https://opensource.com/resources/what-open-source
martinFowler. Technical Debt
https://martinfowler.com/bliki/TechnicalDebt.html