Software quality assurance: a guide for developers and auditors

Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 2
Copyright Page......Page 3
Table of Contents......Page 4
About the Author......Page 14
Acknowledgments......Page 16
Preface......Page 20
Part 1: The Company and the Culture......Page 26
 Introduction......Page 28
  Historical Review of Data Processing......Page 29
  The Centrality of the Customer......Page 30
  The Effects of Poor Quality Software......Page 33
  The Costs of Poor Quality Software......Page 38
  Computer-Related Systems Validation......Page 41
  Regulated and Nonregulated Systems......Page 43
  The Compliance Mentality......Page 44
  Today's Unstable Desktop......Page 45
  The Quality Assurance Audit......Page 47
  The Quality Assurance Auditor/Consultant......Page 50
  The Need to Improve the Process......Page 54
  The Hallmarks of Quality-Assured Software......Page 56
   Cost......Page 57
   Timeliness......Page 58
   Reliability......Page 59
   Maintainability......Page 60
  The Lessons from Statistical Process Control......Page 61
   Initial Level......Page 65
   Repeatable Level......Page 68
   Defined Level......Page 70
   Managed Level......Page 71
   Optimized Level......Page 72
  Risk and Structural Integrity......Page 73
  Software Development: An Engineering Process......Page 76
   The Waterfall Model......Page 77
   The V Process Model......Page 79
   The Spiral Model......Page 83
   Object-Oriented Programming......Page 84
  Categories of Software......Page 88
   Standard Software Packages......Page 89
   Configurable Software Packages......Page 90
  Implied Structural Integrity Certificate......Page 91
  Initiation of the Audit Request......Page 92
  The Quality Review......Page 93
  Audit Teams......Page 94
  Accreditation of Auditors......Page 95
  Establishing a Relationship with a Software Vendor......Page 97
  Confidentiality......Page 99
  The Recalcitrant Hard Core......Page 100
  The Stress of Travel......Page 102
  The Selection of Auditors......Page 104
  The Audit Report......Page 106
 3. Company Organization and Project Management......Page 108
  Size......Page 109
  Documentation: The Problem with Paper......Page 113
  Financial Background......Page 114
  Future......Page 116
  Quality Assurance......Page 117
  Project Management......Page 119
  Keeping Projects Under Control......Page 123
  Project Review or Post Mortem......Page 125
  The Product Portfolio......Page 130
  Product Background......Page 131
  Customer Reference List......Page 132
  Frequency of Revision......Page 133
  User Communities......Page 134
  Version Support......Page 135
  Escrow Agreements......Page 138
  Support Culture......Page 139
  The Value of Quality in the Business......Page 142
  Quality Management System......Page 144
  Quality Assurance Plan......Page 147
  Quality Controls......Page 151
  Configuration Management......Page 152
  Software Configuration Management Plan......Page 153
  Building Quality into Software......Page 154
  Software Inspection......Page 157
  Code Walk-Through......Page 161
  A Black and White Issue......Page 163
  Internal Audits......Page 164
  Defect Reports and Enhancement Requests......Page 165
  Certification......Page 167
  The Cost of Quality Assurance......Page 168
  Confounding the Skeptics......Page 171
  The First Tentative Steps......Page 173
  The Importance of the Staff......Page 180
  The Psychology of Change......Page 181
  The Dearth of Leadership......Page 183
  The Prevalence of Amateurism......Page 185
  Training......Page 188
  The Human Factor......Page 189
  Standards......Page 190
  Investors in People......Page 191
  Being a Caring Employer......Page 194
  Old Dogs and New Tricks......Page 195
  Homemade Tastes Better......Page 197
  Longevity of Stay......Page 198
  Personal Performance Guides......Page 199
   Critical Success Factors......Page 200
   Performance Standards......Page 201
   Improvement Objectives......Page 202
Part 2: The Process......Page 204
 7. Software: Requirements and Design......Page 206
  Human Limitations......Page 208
  User Requirements and Functional Requirements......Page 209
  Ambiguity and Notations......Page 211
  Other Criteria for Requirements Documents......Page 213
   Modifiability......Page 214
   Traceability......Page 215
  The Process of Defining Requirements......Page 216
  CASE Tools: Capabilities......Page 217
  CASE Tools: Short-Termism......Page 218
  The Contents of a User Requirements Specification......Page 219
  The Contents of a Functional Requirements Specification......Page 220
  The Human-Computer Interface......Page 222
  The Design Process......Page 223
  Design Specification......Page 226
  Module Design Specification......Page 227
  Design Reviews......Page 228
  External Standards......Page 229
  Design Changes......Page 230
  Impact on Other Products......Page 231
  Structured Test Plans......Page 232
  The Evolution of Programming Languages......Page 234
  The Need for Programming Standards......Page 237
  The Programming Standards Guide......Page 238
  Documentation and Control......Page 239
   Header Information......Page 240
   The Audit Trail......Page 241
   Names and Type Definitions of Variables......Page 242
   Structure of Code......Page 243
   Integration of Third Party Library Code......Page 245
   Error Entrapment Strategies......Page 246
   Dead Code......Page 247
   Help Text......Page 248
  The Proof of the Pudding Is in the Eating......Page 249
 9. Software Testing......Page 252
  A Trio of Delusions......Page 253
  Testing in Its Rightful Place......Page 254
  Structured Test Plans or Specifications......Page 256
  Keys to Successful Testing......Page 258
  Module Test Specification......Page 261
  Integration Test Specification......Page 263
  Acceptance (Beta) Testing......Page 265
  Automated Test Tools......Page 266
  The Job Isn't Finished Until .........Page 268
 10. Documentation......Page 270
  Standard Operating Procedures......Page 272
   Procedures......Page 274
  Electronic Presentation Using Lotus Notes®......Page 275
  Project Management Documentation......Page 283
  Software Life Cycle Documentation......Page 284
  Document Control......Page 286
  Document Review......Page 287
  User Manuals in User Education......Page 289
  Software Replication......Page 291
  The Need for Change Control......Page 294
  The Cowboy Culture......Page 295
  Elements of Change Control......Page 296
  Prioritization......Page 299
  Documentation Changes......Page 300
  Version Control......Page 301
  Source Code Access Control......Page 303
  Archival Policies and Procedures......Page 305
  Moving On......Page 307
Part 3: Environment, Assessment and Future......Page 310
 12. Managing the Development Environment......Page 312
  Computer Facilities......Page 313
  Change Control......Page 314
  System Backup......Page 315
   Labelling of Media......Page 317
   Storage of Media......Page 318
  Disaster Recovery or Contingency Planning......Page 319
   The Periodic Drill......Page 321
   Fire and Flood......Page 322
  Keeping Within the Law......Page 323
  Physical Security......Page 325
  Other Threats......Page 326
 13. The Virus Menace......Page 328
  Types of Viruses......Page 329
   Macro Language Viruses......Page 332
   Other Types of Virus......Page 333
  Virus Components......Page 334
  Payload Activities......Page 335
  Specific Antivirus Detection......Page 336
   Demand-Driven Scanner......Page 337
   Fingerprinting Programs......Page 338
  Generic Antivirus Detection......Page 339
  Practical Antivirus Measures......Page 340
  Future Trends......Page 342
 14. Assessment and Reporting......Page 344
  Source Code Inspection......Page 345
  Life Cycle Documents......Page 347
  The Review Meeting......Page 348
  Assignment of Vendor Status......Page 349
  Post-Audit Follow-Up......Page 351
  Composing the Audit Report......Page 352
  Audit Report Editions......Page 353
  Report Approval and Retention......Page 355
  Audit/Consultancy Procedure......Page 357
 15. Future Trends......Page 360
  Purchaser Cost......Page 361
  Joint Audits......Page 362
  Independent Audits......Page 363
  TickIT Certification......Page 364
  Other Certification Initiatives......Page 365
 The Epilogue: Living Out the Values......Page 368
  The Servant Model of Management......Page 369
 References......Page 376
 Glossary......Page 382
Part 4: Appendices......Page 402
 Appendix 1: The Audit Process Operational Procedure......Page 404
 Appendix 2: A Vendor Screening Checklist......Page 410
 Appendix 3: Software Quality Assurance Auditor's Worksheets......Page 414
 Appendix 4: A Specimen Vendor Assessment (Audit) Report......Page 430
 Appendix 5: Standard Operating Procedure Template......Page 446
 Appendix 6: Specimen Implied Structural Integrity Certificate......Page 450
 Appendix 7: Test Results Log......Page 452
 Appendix 8: Test Failure Report......Page 454
 Appendix 9: Skill Needs Profile......Page 456
 Appendix 10: Vendor Quality Assurance/ Life Cycle Enquiries......Page 460
 Appendix 11: Sample Job Description Template......Page 464
 Appendix 12: The BuyIT Guidelines-A Summary......Page 466
 Appendix 13: The Health Implications of Intercontinental Travel......Page 470
Index......Page 474