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<span id="openzim-page-title" class="mw-page-title-main"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Software system</span></span>
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</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Not to be confused with <a href="System_software" title="System software">System software</a>.</div>
<p>A <b>software system</b> is a <a href="System" title="System">system</a> of intercommunicating <a href="Software_component" title="Software component">components</a> based on <a href="Software" title="Software">software</a> forming part of a <a href="Computer_system" class="mw-redirect" title="Computer system">computer system</a> (a combination of <a href="Computer_hardware" title="Computer hardware">hardware</a> and software). It "consists of a number of separate <a href="Computer_program" title="Computer program">programs</a>, configuration files, which are used to set up these programs, <a href="System_documentation" class="mw-redirect" title="System documentation">system documentation</a>, which describes the structure of the system, and <a href="User_documentation" class="mw-redirect" title="User documentation">user documentation</a>, which explains how to use the system".<sup id="cite_ref-sommerville_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-sommerville-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p><p>A software system differs from a computer program or software. While a computer program is generally a set of instructions (<a href="Source_code" title="Source code">source</a>, or <a href="Object_code" title="Object code">object code</a>) that perform a specific task, a software system is more or an encompassing concept with many more components such as specification, <a href="Software_test_automation" class="mw-redirect" title="Software test automation">test results</a>, end-user documentation, maintenance records, etc.<sup id="cite_ref-software_C&P_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-software_C&P-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p><p>The use of the term software system is at times related to the application of <a href="Systems_theory" title="Systems theory">systems theory</a> approaches in the context of <a href="Software_engineering" title="Software engineering">software engineering</a>. A software system consists of several separate computer programs and associated <a href="Configuration_file" title="Configuration file">configuration files</a>, <a href="Documentation" title="Documentation">documentation</a>, etc., that operate together.<sup id="cite_ref-sommerville_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-sommerville-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The concept is used in the study of large and complex software, because it focuses on the major <i>components</i> of software and their <i>interactions</i>. It is also related to the field of <a href="Software_architecture" title="Software architecture">software architecture</a>.
</p><p>Software systems are an active area of research for groups interested in <a href="Software_engineering" title="Software engineering">software engineering</a> in particular and <a href="Systems_engineering" title="Systems engineering">systems engineering</a> in general.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Academic journals like the <i><a href="Journal_of_Systems_and_Software" title="Journal of Systems and Software">Journal of Systems and Software</a></i> (published by <a href="Elsevier" title="Elsevier">Elsevier</a>) are dedicated to the subject.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p><p>The ACM <i><a href="Software_System_Award" class="mw-redirect" title="Software System Award">Software System Award</a></i> is an annual award that honors people or an organization <i>"for developing a system that has had a lasting influence, reflected in contributions to concepts, in commercial acceptance, or both"</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-acmaward_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-acmaward-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It has been awarded by the <a href="Association_for_Computing_Machinery" title="Association for Computing Machinery">Association for Computing Machinery</a> (ACM) since 1983, with a cash prize sponsored by <a href="IBM" title="IBM">IBM</a>.
</p>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Categories">Categories</h2></div>
<p>Major categories of software systems include those based on <a href="Application_software_development" class="mw-redirect" title="Application software development">application software development</a>, <a href="Programming_software" class="mw-redirect" title="Programming software">programming software</a>, and <a href="System_software" title="System software">system software</a> although the distinction can sometimes be difficult. Examples of software systems include <a href="Operating_system" title="Operating system">operating systems</a>, <a href="Computer_reservations_system" class="mw-redirect" title="Computer reservations system">computer reservations systems</a>, <a href="Air_traffic_control" title="Air traffic control">air traffic control</a> systems, military command and control systems, <a href="Telecommunication_network" class="mw-redirect" title="Telecommunication network">telecommunication networks</a>, <a href="Content_management_system" title="Content management system">content management systems</a>, <a href="Database_management_system" class="mw-redirect" title="Database management system">database management systems</a>, <a href="Expert_system" title="Expert system">expert systems</a>, <a href="Embedded_system" title="Embedded system">embedded systems</a>, etc.
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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2></div>
<ul><li><a href="ACM_Software_System_Award" title="ACM Software System Award">ACM Software System Award</a></li>
<li><a href="Common_layers_in_an_information_system_logical_architecture" class="mw-redirect" title="Common layers in an information system logical architecture">Common layers in an information system logical architecture</a></li>
<li><a href="Computer_program" title="Computer program">Computer program</a></li>
<li><a href="Computer_program_installation" class="mw-redirect" title="Computer program installation">Computer program installation</a></li>
<li><a href="Experimental_software_engineering" title="Experimental software engineering">Experimental software engineering</a></li>
<li><a href="Software_bug" title="Software bug">Software bug</a></li>
<li><a href="Software_architecture" title="Software architecture">Software architecture</a></li>
<li><a href="System_software" title="System software">System software</a></li>
<li><a href="Systems_theory" title="Systems theory">Systems theory</a></li>
<li><a href="Systems_Science" class="mw-redirect" title="Systems Science">Systems Science</a></li>
<li><a href="Systems_Engineering" class="mw-redirect" title="Systems Engineering">Systems Engineering</a></li>
<li><a href="Software_Engineering" class="mw-redirect" title="Software Engineering">Software Engineering</a></li></ul>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>
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<li id="cite_note-sommerville-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-sommerville_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-sommerville_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">
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</style><cite id="CITEREFSommerville2007" class="citation book cs1">Sommerville, Ian (2007). <span class="id-lock-limited" title="Free access subject to limited trial, subscription normally required"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/softwareengineer00isom/page/n29">"1.1.1; What is software?"</a></span>. <span class="id-lock-limited" title="Free access subject to limited trial, subscription normally required"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/softwareengineer00isom"><i>Software Engineering</i></a></span> (8th ed.). <a href="Addison-Wesley" title="Addison-Wesley">Addison-Wesley</a>. pp. <span class="nowrap">5–</span>6. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-0-321-31379-9</bdi>. <a href="OL_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OL (identifier)">OL</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://openlibrary.org/books/OL18264252M">18264252M</a>.</cite></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-software_C&P-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-software_C&P_2-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">'<cite id="CITEREFGrubbTakang2007" class="citation book cs1">Grubb, P.; Takang, A. (2007). <i>Software Maintenance: Concepts and Practice, 2nd Edition</i>. New Jersey: <a href="World_Scientific" title="World Scientific">World Scientific</a>. pp. <span class="nowrap">7–</span>9. <a href="Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1142%2F5318">10.1142/5318</a>. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-981-238-426-3</bdi>. <a href="OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/912499935">912499935</a>.</cite></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.mpi-sws.org/">"The Max Planck Institute for Software Systems"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2020-12-31</span></span>.</cite></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://dblp.org/streams/journals/jss">"Journal of Systems and Software (JSS)"</a>. <i><a href="DBLP" title="DBLP">DBLP</a></i>. Germany: <a href="Leibniz-Zentrum_f%C3%BCr_Informatik" class="mw-redirect" title="Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik">LZI</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2020-12-31</span></span>.</cite></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-acmaward-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-acmaward_5-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://awards.acm.org/software-system">"Software System Award"</a>. <i>ACM Awards</i>. <a href="Association_for_Computing_Machinery" title="Association for Computing Machinery">Association for Computing Machinery</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2020-12-31</span></span>.</cite></span>
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