We are often asked, "How do I know when I apply the RUP correctly?" There is no black-and-white answer to this question. It is not meaningful to seek the answer by counting the number of activities in the RUP that you follow or how many artifacts in the RUP that you produce. Rather, the question can best be answered by looking at how well your project adheres to the fundamental principles that represent the essential "Spirit of the RUP." These fundamental principles capture our experiences and those that thousands of Rational Software customers and colleagues have made over the last 20 years . Although these principles represent neither a complete view of the RUP nor the full complexity of those projects, understanding these principles will guide you to better apply the RUP to your own projects. These principles are
Iterative development can be done without applying all of these principles; however, using them will enhance project success. To optimize the implementation of an iterative approach, you should attempt to apply as many of these principles as is feasible for your project. You may find that one or several of these principles are unsuitable for your project ”that's fine. Even at its essence, the RUP should be considered a smorgasbord ”a Scandinavian buffet ”from which you choose the dishes that fit your needs. These principles also characterize how the Rational Unified Process differs from other iterative approaches, in particular through its strong emphasis on attacking risks and on producing an executable architecture early on. We'll discuss each of these underlying principles in the following sections. |