Chapter 16 Software Quality Assurance

Overview
This chapter provides an introduction to software quality assurance. Software
quality assurance (SQA) is the concern of every software engineer to reduce
costs and improve product time-to-maret. A Software Quality Assurance !lan is
not merely another name for a test plan" though test plans are included in an
SQA plan. SQA activities are performed on every software pro#ect. $se of metrics
is an important part of developing a strategy to improve the quality of %oth
software processes and wor products.
Software Quality Assurance
$m%rella activity applied throughout the software process
!lanned and systematic pattern of actions required to ensure high quality in
software
&esponsi%ility of many staeholders (software engineers" pro#ect managers"
customers" salespeople" SQA group)
SQA Questions
'oes the software adequately meet its quality factors(
)as software development %een conducted according to pre-esta%lished
standards(
)ave technical disciplines performed their SQA roles properly(
Quality Assurance *lements
Standards + ensure that standards are adopted and follwed
&eviews and audits + audits are reviews performed %y SQA personnel to
ensure hat quality guidelines are followed for all software engineering wor
Testing + ensure that testing id properly planned and conducted
*rror,defect collection and analysis + collects and analyses error and defect
data to %etter understand how errors are introduced and can %e eliminated
-hanges management + ensures that adequate change management
practices have %een instituted
*ducation + taes lead in software process improvement and educational
program
.endor management + suggests specific quality practices vendor should
follow and incorporates quality mandates in vendor contracts
Security management + ensures use of appropriate process and technology
to achieve desired security level
Safety + responsi%le for assessing impact of software failure and initiating
steps to reduce ris
&is management + ensures ris management activities are properly
conducted and that contingency plans have %een esta%lished
SQA Tass
!repare SQA plan for the pro#ect.
!articipate in the development of the pro#ect/s software process description.
&eview software engineering activities to verify compliance with the defined
software process.
Audit designated software wor products to verify compliance with those
defined as part of the software process.
*nsure that any deviations in software or wor products are documented and
handled according to a documented procedure.
&ecord any evidence of noncompliance and reports them to management.

SQA 0oals
&equirements quality
o Am%iguity
o -ompleteness
o .olatility
o Tracea%ility
o 1odel clarity
'esign quality
o Architectural integrity
o -omponent completeness
o 2nterface comple3ity
o !atterns
-ode quality
o -omple3ity
o 1aintaina%ility
o $nderstanda%ility
o &eusa%ility
o 'ocumentation
Quality control effectiveness
o &esource allocation
o -ompletion rate
o &eview effectiveness
o Testing effectiveness
4ormal SQA
Assumes that a rigorous synta3 and semantics can %e defined for every
programming language
Allows the use of a rigorous approach to the specification of software
requirements
Applies mathematical proof of correctness techniques to demonstrate that a
program conforms to its specification
Statistical Quality Assurance
5. 2nformation a%out software defects is collected and categori6ed
7. *ach defect is traced %ac to its cause
8. $sing the !areto principle (9:; of the defects can %e traced to 7:; of the
causes) isolate the <vital few< defect causes
=. 1ove to correct the pro%lems that caused the defects in the >vital few?
Si3 Sigma Software *ngineering
Define customer requirements" delivera%les" and pro#ect goals via well-
defined methods of customer communication.
Measure each e3isting process and its output to determine current quality
performance (e.g. compute defect metrics)
Analyze defect metrics and determine viral few causes.
4or an e3isting process that needs improvement
o 2mprove process %y eliminating the root causes for defects
o Control future wor to ensure that future wor does not reintroduce
causes of defects
2f new processes are %eing developed
o Design each new process to avoid root causes of defects and to meet
customer requirements
o Verify that the process model will avoid defects and meet customer
requirements

Software &elia%ility
'efined as the pro%a%ility of failure free operation of a computer program in a
specified environment for a specified time period
-an %e measured directly and estimated using historical and developmental
data (unlie many other software quality factors)
Software relia%ility pro%lems can usually %e traced %ac to errors in design or
implementation.
1easures of &elia%ility
1ean time %etween failure (1T@4) A 1TT4 B 1TT&
1TT4 A mean time to failure
1TT& A mean time to repair
Availa%ility A C1TT4 , (1TT4 B 1TT&)D 3 5::;
Software Safety
'efined as a software quality assurance activity that focuses on identifying
potential ha6ards that may cause a software system to fail.
*arly identification of software ha6ards allows developers to specify design
features to can eliminate or at least control the impact of potential ha6ards.
Software relia%ility involves determining the lielihood that a failure will occur"
while software safety e3amines the ways in which failures may result in
conditions that can lead to a mishap.
2SO E::: Quality Standards
Quality assurance systems are defined as the organi6ational structure"
responsi%ilities" procedures" processes" and resources for implementing
quality management.
2SO E::: descri%es the quality elements that must %e present for a quality
assurance system to %e compliant with the standard" %ut it does not descri%e
how an organi6ation should implement these elements.
2SO E::5F7::: is the quality standard that contains 7: requirements that
must %e present in an effective software quality assurance system.
SQA !lan
1anagement section - descri%es the place of SQA in the structure of the
organi6ation
'ocumentation section - descri%es each wor product produced as part of the
software process
Standards" practices" and conventions section - lists all applica%le
standards,practices applied during the software process and any metrics to
%e collected as part of the software engineering wor
&eviews and audits section - provides an overview of the approach used in
the reviews and audits to %e conducted during the pro#ect
Test section - references the test plan and procedure document and defines
test record eeping requirements
!ro%lem reporting and corrective action section - defines procedures for
reporting" tracing" and resolving errors or defects" identifies organi6ational
responsi%ilities for these activities
Other - tools" SQA methods" change control" record eeping" training" and ris
management