Software Quality

Dr. Daniel Galin acquired his expertise in SQA through many years of consulting, teaching, and writing in the field. He is currently a lecturer on SQA in the Faculty of Computer Science at the Technion, where he is a senior teaching fellow. His earlier book, Software Quality Assurance: From Theory to Implementation, was published by Addison-Wesley in 2004. Many of his papers have appeared in leading professional journals. Dr. Daniel Galin received his B.Sc., M.Sc., and D.Sc. from the Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology.

• Preface xviiAcknowledgments xxiAbout the Author xxiiiGuides for Special Groups of Readers xxvPart I Introduction 11. SQA – Definitions and Concepts 31.1 Software quality and software quality assurance – definitions 31.2 What is a software product? 51.3 The principles of SQA 71.4 Software errors, faults, and failures 71.5 The causes of software errors 111.6 Software quality assurance versus software quality control 161.7 Software quality engineering and software engineering 17Summary 18Selected bibliography 20Review questions 20Topics for discussion 212. Software Quality Factors (attributes) 232.1 Complaints from the City Computer Club members – an introductory mini case 232.2 The need for comprehensive software quality requirements 242.3 McCall’s classic model for software quality factors 252.4 The ISO/IEC 25010 model and other alternative models of software quality factors 332.5 Software compliance with quality factors 38Summary 41Selected bibliography 42Review questions 43Topics for discussion 443. The Software Quality Challenges 453.1 Introduction 453.2 The uniqueness of software quality assurance 453.3 Software development, maintenance, and SQA environment 49Summary 55Review questions 56Topics for discussion 564. Organization for Assuring Software Quality 584.1 Introduction 584.2 Top management’s quality assurance activities 594.3 Department managers with direct responsibilities for quality 634.4 Project management responsibilities for quality 654.5 The SQA unit and its associated players in the SQA system 664.6 The associated players in the SQA system 71Summary 74Selected bibliography 77Review questions 77Topics for discussion 795. The SQA World – An Overview 815.1 First area: introductory topics (Part I of the book) 815.2 Second area: SQA process implementation activities (Part II of the book) 835.3 Third area: product assurance activities for conformance (Part III of the book) 875.4 Fourth area: process assurance activities for conformance (Part IV of the book) 915.5 Fifth area: additional tools and methods supporting software quality (Part V of the book) 965.6 Sixth area: Appendices (Part VI of the book) 995.7 The SQA Hall of Fame 103Part II SQA Process Implementation Activities 1056. Establishing SQA Processes and Their Coordination With Relevant Software Processes 1076.1 Establishing SQA processes 1076.2 Coordinating SQA processes with related software processes 108Summary 109Selected bibliography 110Review questions 110Topics for discussion 1107. SQA Plan and Project Plan 1117.1 Introduction 1117.2 The process of preparing an SQA plan 1127.3 The SQAP elements 1127.4 The process of preparing a project plan 1167.5 Jack thanks his department manager – a mini case 1177.6 The elements of the project plan 1197.7 Project plans for small projects and for internal projects 130Summary 134Selected bibliography 136Review questions 136Topics for discussion 138Appendix 7.A: Risk management activities and measures 1398. Preproject Process – Contract Review 1418.1 The CFV project completion celebration – an introductory mini case 1418.2 Introduction 1428.3 The contract review process and its stages 1438.4 Contract review evaluation subjects 1468.5 Implementation of a contract review 1498.6 Contract reviews for internal projects 151Summary 153Selected bibliography 154Review questions 154Topics for discussion 155Appendix 8.A: Proposal draft review 157Appendix 8.B: Contract draft review 1619. Cost of Software Quality 1629.1 This time the budget was approved – an introductory mini case 1629.2 Objectives of cost of software quality measurement 1649.3 The classic model of cost of software quality 1669.4 The scope of the cost of software quality – industry figures 1709.5 An extended model for cost of software quality 1719.6 Application of a cost of software quality system 1759.7 Problems in application of CoSQ measurements 179Summary 181Selected bibliography 183Review questions 184Topics for discussion 18610. The Effectiveness and Cost of a V&V Plan – the SQA Model 18910.1 The data required for the SQA model 18910.2 The SQA model 19110.3 Application of the SQA model for comparing V&V plans 195Summary 198Selected bibliography 199Review questions 199Topics for discussion 19911. SQA Records and Documentation Control 20011.1 Jeff’s troubles – an introductory mini-case 20011.2 Introduction 20111.3 Objectives of documentation control processes 20311.4 The implementation of documentation control 203Summary 207Selected bibliography 208Review questions 208Topics for discussion 209Part III Product Assurance Activities for Conformance 21112. Evaluation of Products for Conformance 21312.1 Introduction 21312.2 The evaluation of project plans for conformance 21412.3 The evaluation of project’s software products for conformance 21512.4 Evaluation of project products for acceptability by the customer 21612.5 The evaluation of project’s operation phase products for conformance 21612.6 The evaluation of software product by measurements 217Summary 218Selected bibliography 219Review questions 219Topics for discussion 22013. Reviews 22213.1 Introduction 22213.2 The happy design review – an introductory mini case 22413.3 Formal design reviews (DRS) 22513.4 Peer reviews 23113.5 Expert opinions 244Summary 247Selected bibliography 248Review questions 248Topics for discussion 250Appendix 13.A: DR report form 252Appendix 13.B: Inspection session findings report form 253Appendix 13.C: Inspection session summary report 25414. Software Testing 25514.1 Introduction 25514.2 Joe decided to skip in-process testing – an introductory mini-case 25914.3 Software testing strategies 26014.4 Requirement-driven software testing 27214.5 Planning of the testing process 28014.6 Designing the testing process 28614.7 Implementation of the testing process 28714.8 Automated testing 28914.9 Alpha and beta site testing programs 30114.10 Code review activities for the programming and testing phases 303Summary 304Selected bibliography 310Review questions 312Topics for discussion 31415. Assuring Software Quality Conformance for Operation Services 31815.1 Introduction 31815.2 HR Software’s success – an introductory mini case 32115.3 The foundations of high-quality operation services 32415.4 Software maintenance maturity model – a model for the operation phase 32915.5 Managerial processes of software operation quality assurance 329Summary 341Selected bibliography 342Review questions 343Topics for discussion 34416. Software Product Quality Metrics 34616.1 What are software quality metrics? – an introduction 34616.2 Implementation of software quality metrics 34916.3 Product metrics and their classification 35216.4 Software product size metrics 35316.5 Software product attribute metrics 356Summary 362Selected bibliography 364Review questions 366Topics for discussion 367Appendix 16.A: FSM method implementation 37017. Procedures and Work Instructions 37517.1 Introduction – the need for procedures and work instructions 37517.2 Superbox pays $9000 in damages due to failing support center – a mini case 37617.3 Procedures and work instructions and their conceptual hierarchy 37817.4 Procedures and procedure manuals 37817.5 Work instructions 38217.6 Procedures and work instructions: preparation, implementation, and updating 382Summary 385Selected bibliography 386Review questions 386Topics for discussion 387Appendix 17.A: Design review procedure 389Part IV Process Assurance Activities for Conformance 39318. Evaluation of Processes and Development Environment for Conformance 39518.1 Introduction 39518.2 The evaluation of life cycle processes and plans for conformance 39618.3 The evaluation of the required environment for conformance 39718.4 The evaluation of subcontractor processes for conformance 39818.5 The evaluation of software process by measurements 39918.6 The assessment of staff skills and knowledge 400Summary 401Selected bibliography 401Review questions 402Topics for discussion 40219. Improvement Processes – Corrective and Preventive Actions 40419.1 The “3S” development team – revisited – an introductory mini case 40419.2 Introduction 40619.3 The corrective and preventive actions process 40719.4 Organization for preventive and corrective actions 416Summary 417Selected bibliography 418Review questions 418Topics for discussion 41920. Software Process Assurance Activities for External Participants 42120.1 Introduction 42120.2 The Pharmax tender – a mini case 42420.3 Benefits and risks of introducing external performers 42720.4 Benefits and risks of using readymade software 43020.5 QA activities for assuring external performers’ process quality 43220.6 QA activities for assuring quality of readymade software 438Summary 441Selected bibliography 444Review questions 445Topics for discussion 44621. Software Process Quality Metrics 44821.1 Software process metrics – an introduction 44821.2 North against South – who’ll win this time round? – aminicase 45021.3 Software development process metrics 45221.4 Software operation process metrics 46021.5 Software maintenance process metrics 46221.6 Management process metrics 46621.7 Limitations of software metrics 467Summary 470Selected bibliography 471Review questions 472Topics for discussion 47322. Software Change Control Processes 47622.1 Introduction 47622.2 How a well-planned project lost over half a million dollars – a mini case 47722.3 The process of handling an SCR 47922.4 The SCC function in the organization 48122.5 Software quality assurance activities related to software change control 482Summary 482Selected bibliography 483Review questions 483Topics for discussion 48423. Staff Skills and Knowledge – Training and Certification 48623.1 Introduction 48623.2 Surprises for the “3S” development team – an introductory mini case 48723.3 The objectives of training 48823.4 The staff training process for software development 48923.5 The training process for the SQA function team 49323.6 The objectives of certification 49523.7 The certification process 495Summary 501Selected bibliography 503Review questions 503Topics for discussion 504Part V Additional Tools and Methods Supporting Software Quality 50724. Templates and Checklists 50924.1 Introduction 50924.2 Templates 50924.3 The organizational framework for implementing templates 51124.4 Checklists 51424.5 The organizational framework for implementing checklists 516Summary 518Selected bibliography 519Review questions 519Topics for discussion 52025. Configuration Management 52225.1 Introduction 52225.2 Software configuration items 52325.3 Release of software configuration versions 52625.4 Documentation of software configuration versions 53125.5 Configuration management planning 53225.6 Provision of SCM information services 53425.7 Computerized tools for performing configuration management tasks 53525.8 The software configuration management function in the organization 53625.9 Software quality assurance activities related to SCM 537Summary 539Selected bibliography 541Review questions 542Topics for discussion 54226. CASE TOOLS AND IDEs – IMPACT ON SOFTWARE QUALITY 54426.1 What is a CASE tool? 54426.2 The classic CASE tool 54626.3 IDE CASE tools 54826.4 Real CASE tools 55026.5 The contribution of CASE tools to software quality 554Summary 556Selected bibliography 557Review questions 559Topics for discussion 559Part VI Appendices 561Appendix A: Software Development and Quality Assurance Process Standards 563A. 1 Introduction – standards and their use 563A. 2 IEEE Std. 730-2014 Standard for software quality assurance 566A. 3 ISO/IEC Std. 12207-2008: system and software engineering – software life cycle processes 570A. 4 IEEE Std. 1012-2012 systems and software verification and validation 574Summary 579Selected bibliography 581Review questions 582Topics for discussion 583Appendix B: Software Quality Management Standards and Models 585B. 1 ABC Software Ltd – an unnecessary loss – a mini-case 585B. 2 The scope of quality management standards 587B. 3 Software quality management standards as SPI standards 589B. 4 ISO/IEC90003 590B. 5 Capability maturity CMMI models – assessment methodology 597B. 6 The SPICE project and the ISO/IEC 15504 software process assessment standard 602B. 7 Additional software quality management standards 609Summary 611Selected bibliography 613Review questions 615Topics for discussion 616Appendix C: Project Progress Control 617C. 1 Introduction 617C. 2 Finally, a successful project – a mini case 619C. 3 The components of project progress control 621C. 4 Progress control of distributed and globally distributed software development projects 623C. 5 Progress control of internal projects and external participants 624C. 6 Implementation of project progress control 625C. 7 Computerized tools for software progress control 626Summary 631Selected bibliography 632Review questions 633Topics for discussion 634Appendix D: From Sdlc to Agile – Processes and Quality Assurance Activities 635D.1 The classical software development models 636D.2 The object-oriented model 645D.3 The incremental delivery model 649D.4 The staged model 652D.5 The Agile methodology models 652Summary 660Selected bibliography 662Review questions 663Topics for discussion 664Author Index 667Subject Index 673