An iteration is a set time period within a project during which a stable working version of a product is produced. Attached are installation scripts, accompanying documentation, other artifacts that are necessary for the application of this release.
Brief information
A working version of the product allows interested parties to show the actual development of the project. During the demonstration, the development team can receive feedback on what needs to be done to better understand the needs and how to implement them. Subsequent iteration is based on the previous one. The product obtained as a result is one step closer to the final one. An iteration is a limited period. In other words, the schedule is quite rigidly fixed. In order to keep within this schedule, the filling of the time period can vary.
Features
An iteration is a well-regulated period. Project development has carefully planned goals; the duration of the time period itself is fixed. In the regulation for each iteration set their own evaluation criteria. At the same time, responsibilities and tasks are clearly distributed between the participants involved in the project. Additionally, a study of objective indicators of the development of the project is carried out. An iteration is a period involving a certain number of alterations. It should be said that they are all implemented in a structured way.
Integration
Any simple iteration should take into account the probable risks of importance for the project, as well as implement high-priority work components. As a result, there is confidence that with each period a maximum of value is added for interested parties amid a reduction in uncertainty. Iterative development is usually combined with continuous or frequent integration. In other words, from the moment the components become satisfactory according to the results of unit tests, they are integrated into the overall project. After assembly and testing are carried out. Thus, the capabilities of integrated products during the iteration increase relative to the goals that were determined during planning. Regular assemblies (everyday or more frequent) allow you to separate the problems and tasks of integration and testing, distribute them evenly throughout the development cycle. Often the reason for the collapse of projects is that all the difficulties are discovered at one time in the framework of one integration process that occurs at the final stage. In this case, because of the only problem, the whole team stops.
Prospects
Due to the complexity of the software used today, it is not always possible to consistently design, define requirements, test, implement, choose an architecture, perform these and other stages correctly. The solution by the iteration method allows at the end of each period to give interested parties access to the project capabilities. In this case, during development, the team quickly and periodically receives feedback. They, in turn, allow you to make improvements and solve problems with lower costs if you fit into the time and budget framework of the project and long before the development goes far enough that significant improvements may be required. Iteration allows you to get a valid code. It can be activated, evaluated and carried out the adjustment of the direction of project development. Typically, the duration of the period is four weeks. However, there are teams that work for seven days or more - up to a month and a half.