Maintenance of Computer II – SS3 Data Processing Lesson Note (First Term)

Software maintenance is the modification of software products after delivery to correct faults and improve performance or other attributes.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Define software maintenance.
2. State and explain the four types of software maintenance.
3. Distinguish between preventive and corrective maintenance.
4. Outline the importance of software maintenance.
5. List common software maintenance tasks and the order in which they are done.

Instructional techniques and materials

Instructional techniques

• Identification: students identify maintenance tasks on a computer.
• Explanation: the teacher explains each type of maintenance.
• Questions and answers: oral questions check understanding.
• Demonstration: the teacher shows an update or scan on a computer.
• Videos from source: short videos on software maintenance.

Instructional materials

• Videos and loudspeaker
• Pictures
• Data Processing for Senior Secondary Education by Hiit Plc
• WAPB Computer Studies for Senior Secondary I by Adekunle et al
• Online materials

What is software maintenance?

Software maintenance is the modification of software products after delivery to correct faults and improve performance or other attributes.

• Software: the programs and instructions that tell a computer what to do, such as an operating system or a word processor.
• Delivery: the point at which the software is installed and put to use.
• Fixing defects: software maintenance also means finding and removing faults in software.
• Aim: to keep software working correctly, safely and up to date.

What are the types of software maintenance?

There are four types of software maintenance: preventive, corrective, adaptive and perfective.

Preventive maintenance

• Meaning: equipment or facilities are inspected, maintained and protected before breakdown or other problems occur.
• Also called: “scheduled maintenance”.
• Example: running an antivirus scan every week and backing up files regularly.

Corrective maintenance

• Meaning: repairs or replacements are carried out after wear, malfunction or breakdown.
• Also called: “repairs”.
• Example: removing a virus that has already infected the computer.

Adaptive maintenance

• Meaning: changes are made in a part of the system that has been affected by a change in some other part of the system.
• Focus: adapting software to changes in the environment, such as the hardware or the operating system.
• Example: changing a program so that it works on a newer version of the operating system.

Perfective maintenance

• Meaning: functional enhancements are made to the system, and activities are carried out to increase its performance.
• Focus: the changes are made even if no fault prompted them.
• Example: adding a new feature to a program or making it run faster.

Summary table of the four types

What is the difference between preventive and corrective maintenance?

Preventive maintenance is done before a fault occurs, while corrective maintenance is done after a fault has occurred.

• Preventive maintenance: scheduled inspection and protection to stop problems before they start.
• Corrective maintenance: repair or replacement after wear, malfunction or breakdown.

Why is software maintenance important?

Software maintenance is important because it keeps software working correctly, safely and up to date.

1. To correct faults: for example scanning, virus removal and defragmentation.
2. To improve performance: for example software upgrading and updating.
3. To adapt to changing environments: software keeps working when hardware or the operating system changes.
4. To provide solutions to identified software problems: known faults are fixed.
5. To predict software expenses: planned maintenance helps an organisation budget for future costs.

What are common software maintenance tasks?

Common software maintenance tasks are the regular actions that keep programs and files in good condition.

• Updating: installing small changes (patches) that fix faults and security gaps.
• Upgrading: moving to a newer version of a program or operating system.
• Antivirus scanning: checking the computer for viruses and removing them.
• Backing up: copying important files to another place, such as a flash drive or cloud storage.
• Uninstalling: removing programs that are no longer needed.
• Disk clean-up: deleting temporary and unwanted files to free space.
• Defragmentation: rearranging scattered file parts on a hard disk so files open faster.

What are the steps of routine software maintenance?

Routine software maintenance follows a set order so that data is safe before any change is made.

1. Back up important files.
2. Update the operating system and application programs.
3. Update the antivirus program.
4. Scan the computer and remove any virus found.
5. Uninstall programs that are no longer used.
6. Delete temporary and unwanted files.
7. Defragment the hard disk.
8. Restart the computer and confirm that the programs work well.

Evaluation

1. Define software maintenance.
2. List and explain the four types of software maintenance.
3. Highlight the importance of software maintenance.
4. Give two examples of preventive maintenance tasks.

Classwork: students answer the evaluation questions above.

Assignment

Differentiate between preventive maintenance and corrective maintenance, and state two reasons why software maintenance is important.