Competency Function Point Counts for Virtual Storage
Client StorageTek is a manufacturer of network computing storage solutions employing Information Lifecycle Management (ILM). The goal of ILM is to align the cost of storage with the value of the information being stored. Solutions cover a variety of areas including automated tape, archive, virtualization, software, and disk arrays.
Product Magpie provided function point counts and development estimates for several of StorageTek’s virtual storage products.
Function point counts define the functionality of a system from a user’s perspective and are excellent tools for system test planning.
Project Projects included two common platform frameworks across multiple virtual storage applications as well as three different applications that sat on top of those frameworks.
Projects were in different phases of the development cycle: completed projects, enhancement releases, and new projects in active development or in early planning stages.
Once the function point counts were completed, Magpie used its internal estimation model to create development estimates for interval and number of staff.
Outcome Since StorageTek does not have its own estimation model, comparing the Magpie estimates for completed projects to actual StorageTek project data provides a way to validate the estimates and to calibrate the beginnings of a StorageTek specific model.
Magpie estimates for projects currently in planning stages or in early development were used in addition to StorageTek’s current estimation process to construct project schedules and staffing plans.
Since counts were performed for both platform frameworks and applications that take advantage of the frameworks, there was now a quantification of exactly what functionality using the platform will buy for a particular application project. This provided data to encourage applications to make use of the platform frameworks.
