Software Quality Assurance Quiz

Software Quality Assurance (SQA)

• Software Quality Factors: This chapter examines various software quality factors, focusing on their impact on overall program performance within a company.
• Types of Requirements: Three main categories of requirements are used to define a software’s quality: Product Operation, Product Revision, and Product Transition.
• Product Operation Factors: These consider how a software program operates day-to-day. This category includes:
  • Correctness: Ensuring the software system accurately follows its specified requirements and produces the anticipated outputs. This includes:
    • Defining the software’s specific tasks (e.g., triggering an alarm when the temperature exceeds 250°F)
    • Specifying the expected accuracy of outputs, considering the impact of inaccurate data or calculations.
    • Defining the level of completeness in outputs, taking into account potential incomplete input data.
    • Specifying information update frequency (e.g., maximum lag time between an event and its processing by the software)
    • Specifying the availability of information, including response time (the time taken to obtain requested information).
  • Reliability: The software should perform its function accurately and consistently over time.
  • Efficiency: The software should be fast and resource-efficient in solving the problem.
  • Integrity: This factor addresses security concerns, ensuring the software is protected from unauthorized access or alteration.
  • Usability: The software should be user-friendly and easy to understand.
• Product Revision Factors: This category explores the ease of modifying and improving a software system. These include:
  • Maintainability: Addressing the effort required to find and correct software failures, including the time needed to verify the fix worked. It emphasizes the value of modular software structure, internal documentation, and comprehensive user guides. (e.g., adherence to company coding standards)
  • Flexibility: This factor concerns the ease with which the software can be altered or adapted to changes in its environment.
  • Testability: The software should be easily and thoroughly tested. (e.g., automated diagnostics by the program, verifying system components are functioning correctly)
• Product Transition Factors: This area focuses on the adaptability of software:
  • Portability: This encompasses considerations for modifying the software to function seamlessly in different environments. It prioritizes compatibility with diverse hardware, operating systems, etc.
  • Reusability: Refers to the ease with which software modules can be reused in various contexts.
  • Interoperability: This relates to the effort required to seamlessly connect the software with other systems.
• McCall’s Quality Model: Introduced by McCall in 1977, this model serves as a classic framework for understanding software quality factors. It classifies factors according to the three main categories discussed above: Product Operation, Product Revision, and Product Transition.
• Alternative Models: Two alternative models for software quality factors, both from the late 1980s, are the Evans and Marciniak model and the Deutsch and Willis model. These models introduce additional factors to the traditional McCall's model, including:
  • Verifiability: This factor addresses the ease with which the effectiveness of a software system can be verified.
  • Expandability: This factors refers to the ability to extend or enhance the capabilities of the software in the future.
  • Safety: Emphasizes the need for the software to operate without causing any harm or risks to users or systems.
  • Manageability: This refers to factors facilitating the management, control, and monitoring of the software.
  • Survivability: This considers the ability of the software to withstand unexpected events and disruptions, ensuring minimal damage or downtime.
• Criteria for Evaluation: This chapter emphasizes the need for tailored evaluation of software quality factors based on specific contexts. It points out that different software systems may have different priorities regarding specific quality factors. For example, a flight software system might prioritize reliability over portability.
• Software Quality Models by Evans and Marciniak, Deutsch and Willis: The chapter mentions two notable alternative models for software quality factors: Evans and Marciniak (1987) and Deutsch and Willis (1988).
• Story Examples: The chapter uses three brief stories to illustrate real-world challenges related to software quality. These scenarios highlight issues like poor reliability, lack of maintainability, and the importance of thorough testing.

This quiz covers essential concepts in Software Quality Assurance, focusing on software quality factors and their influence on program performance. Explore the types of requirements and their implications for product operation, revision, and transition, ensuring a thorough understanding of correctness and expected outputs.