System Development Life Cycle: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

System Development Life Cycle, or SDLC, is the process of developing information systems through investigation, analysis, design, implementation and maintenance. SDLC is also known as information systems development or application development. SDLC is a systems approach to problem solving and is made up of several phases, each comprised of multiple steps:

• The software concept - identifies and defines a need for the new system
• A requirements analysis - analyzes the information needs of the end users
• The architectural design - creates a blueprint for the design with the necessary specifications for the hardware, software, people and data resources
• Coding and debugging - creates and programs the final system
• System testing - evaluates the system's actual functionality in relation to expected or intended functionality.

The six official phases are:

1. Preliminary Investigation
2. Systems Analysis
3. Systems Design
4. Systems Developement
5. Systems Implementation
6. Systems Maintenance