Software maintenance is a very broad activity often defined as including all work made on a software system after it becomes operational . This
covers the correction of errors, the enhancement, deletion and addition of capabilities, the adaptation to changes in data requirements and operation
environments, the improvement of performance, usability, or any other quality attribute. The IEEE definition is as follows : Software
maintenance is the process of modifying a software system or component after delivery to correct faults, improve performances or other
attributes, or adapt to a changed environment.
This definition reflects the common view that software maintenance is a post-delivery activity: it starts when a system is released to the customer or user and encompasses all
activities that keep the system operational and meet the user’s needs. This view is well summarized by the classical waterfall models of the software life cycle, which generally
comprise a final phase of operation and maintenance.Several authors disagree with this view and affirm that software maintenance should start well before a system becomes operational.
Software maintenance is the totality of activities required to provide cost-effective support to a software system. Activities are performed
during the pre-delivery stage as well as the post-delivery stage. Pre-delivery activities include planning for postdelivery operations,
supportability, and logistics determination. Post-delivery activities include software modification, training, and operating a help desk. This
definition is consistent with the approach to software maintenance taken by ISO in its standard on software life cycle processes . It definitively
dispels the image that software maintenance is all about fixing bugs or mistakes.
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