Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!natinst!uudell!pensoft!windy
From: windy@pensoft.uucp (Windflower Gilbert)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: SE Terms Confusion
Message-ID: <1991Apr12.161110.5113@pensoft.uucp>
Date: 12 Apr 91 16:11:10 GMT
References: <1991Apr11.144028.20787@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>
Organization: Pencom Software, Austin, TX
Lines: 58

I will explain the terms in question as I understand them . I do QA for a 
living. The quoted definitions are from the IEEE Standard Glossary of Software 
Engineering Terms.

	"Software Quality: The totality oms to refer to robustness, 
	lack of bugs, and other general quality statements about software.
	
Software Risk probably refers to criticality. The Criticality of software is a 
function of  whether or not the failure of the software could cause loss of 
life or significant financial loss. If software is "Critical" then it must be 
tested much more thoroughly. Beyond the point of diminishing returns for most 
software.
	
Software Testing is exercising software in some predefined way with a specific 
focus to locate defects.
	
	"Verification : The process of determining whether or not the 
	products of a given phase of the software development cycle 
	fulfill the requirements established during the previous phase"
	
	"Validation: The process of evaluating software at the end of 
	the software development process to ensure compliance with 
	software requirements"
	
V&V covers the whole development cycle. It may include things like prototype 
evaluations, and code inspections in addition to testing.
	
	"Software Reliability: The probability that software will not 
	cause the failure of a system for a specified time under 
	specified conditions."
	
Generally, Software Reliability refers to extended periods of time. Reliability
tested is conducted for increasing amounts of time, and often includes stress 
intended to resemble a "real implementation".

I think a brief summary of the formal approach will serve to clarify. If I am 
responsible for all aspects of software quality for a particular product, I 
will write the following documents in the order given.

A Software Quality Assurance Plan  that will describe some aspects of the 
development process such as source code control, leadership responsibility 
and what design related documents are to be written . It will also identify 
what  V&V methods will be implemented, whether or not the software is critical 
and how the development cycle relates to the QA.

A V&V plan that will describe in a fair amount of detail each of the methods 
to be used. This may include code inspection approach, usability evaluation of 
a prototype,  who will do unit testing, and types of software testing to be 
implemented (such as reliability testing). It will also identify what test 
plans will be written.

A Test Plan may cover all or part of a product and details the testing of that 
part.  For complex projects, there may be another layer here.

Windflower Gilbert
Pencom Software
pensoft!windy@cs.utexas.edu