SOFTWARE　 QUALITY　 ASSURANCE　 PRACTICE　 IN　JAPAN

• SOFTWARE CHARACTERISTICS AND QUALITY ASSURANCE• SOFTWARE QUALITY ASSURANCE ACTIVITIES• DEVELOPMENT PLAN AUDIT• SOFTWARE INSPECTION• DOCUMENT INSPECTION• QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN THE TESTING STAGE• TESTING STRATEGIES• QUALITY TARGET MANAGEMENT• QUALITY PROBE (QP)• PRODUCT INSPECTION• DISTRIBUTION OF SOFTWARE FAULTS• SYSTEM TEST• SYSTEM SIMULATION TEST

Hitachi Systems & Services,Ltd. 　 Quality Assurance Department

Takamasa Nara

－ A　 CASE　 STUDY　 IN　 HITACHI　 GROUP－

SOFTWARE CHARACTERISTICS AND QUALITY ASSURANCE

SOFTWARE

CHARACTERISTICSPOINTS TO CONSIDER

AGGREGATE OF ALL LOGIC

•DIFFICULTY IN ACCURATE 　　　　　 DESIGN OF LOGIC

•DIFFICULTY IN RELIABLE 　　　　　　 TESTING OF LOGIC

INVISIBILITY

•INVISIBILITY OF SOFTWARE

•INVISIBILITY OF THE 　　　　　　　　 　 DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

•STRUCTURED DESIGN METHOD 　 AND DESIGN REVIEW

•SYSTEMATIC TESTING METHOD

•DESIGN AND NOTATION 　　　　　　　 METHODS

•VISUALIZATION OF QUALITY 　　　 AND PROGRESS STATUS

SOFTWARE

CHARACTERISTICS POINTS TO CONSIDERMEETING THE NEEDS OF THE USER

　● DIFFICULTY IN 　　　　　　 UNDERSTANDING THE

　　　 NEEDS OF THE USER

　● DIFFICULTY IN

UNDERSTNDING THE

CONDITIONS FOR USE

GREAT DEPENDENCE ON INDIVIDUALS

　● REDUCTION IN DEPENDENCE

　　 ON INDIVIDUALS

　● EDUCATING INDIVIDUALS

　● REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS, 　　 DEFINITION TECHNIQUE

　● TESTING UNDER USER

CONDITIONS

　● STANDARDIZATION AND

AUTOMATION OF

DEVELOPMENT METHODS

　● RE-USE AND TECHNOLOGY

TRANSFER

　● EDUCATION, TRAINING

SOFTWARE QUALITY ASSURANCE ACTIVITIES

DEVELOPMENT PLAN AUDIT

●PROJECT PLAN ―INSUFFICIENT STAFF AND ORGANIZATION

―UNDERESTIMATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT TIME AND MANPOWER

●QUALITY PLAN ―DETERMINATION OF NECESSARY QUALITY CHARACTERIS

TICS AND QUALITY TARGET VALUES

―METHODS AND PROCEDURES TO REALIZE QUALITY TARGET VALUES AT EACH PHASE

SOFTWARE INSPECTION

ITEM EXPLANATION

INSPECTION

ORGANIZATION

THE INSPECTION ORGANIZATION MUST BE

INDEPENDENT OF THE DESIGN AND

MANUFACTURING DEPARTMENTS IN ORDER TO

MAKE FAIR JUDGEMENTS

INSPECTION ●INSPECTION MUST BE FROM THE CUSTOMER’S 　　 VIEWPOINT:

―PRODUCTS WHOSE QUALITY DOES NOT MEET 　　　 THE PREDETERMINED ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA 　　 ARE REJECTED

●INSPECTION INVOLVES ACTIVITIES TO ENSURE 　　 QUALITY FOR THE CUSTOMER AFTER DELIVERY

INSPECTION

SCOPE

●IN HOUSE

　－ INSPECTION OF INDIVIDUAL PROCESSES

　－ QUALITY CONTROL FOR ALL PROCESSES FROM 　　 BASIC DESIGN TO FINAL INSPECTION

●OUTSIDE

　－ QUALITY ASSURANCE ACTIVITES

　－ LIAISON FOR CUSTOMER NEEDS AND 　　　　　　　　　 COMPLAINTS

DOCUMENT INSPECTION

1.INTERNAL DOCUMENT INSPECTION 1.1 DOCUMENT 　　● FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATIONS　　 ● DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS ETC. 1.2 AIMS ●ANTICIPATIVE QUALITY CONTROL OF PROGRAMS ●QUALITY CONTROL AT DESIGN PROCESSES (EVALUATION OF DOCUMENTS) ●PROGRESS CONTROL AT DESIGN PROCESSES2. EXTERNAL DOCUMENT INSPECTION 2.1 DOCUMENT ●MANUALS ETC. 2.2 AIMS ●ASSURING SOFTWARE PRODUCT QUALITY 　 ● CONSISTENCY WITH THE INTERNAL DOCUMENTATION ●EVALUATING UNDERSTANDABILITY AND USABILITY

QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN THE TESTING STAGE

●TESTING STRATEGIES

●FORECASTING DEFECTS AND MANAGEMENT OF TARGET VALUES

TESTING STRATEGIES

1.SETTING TARGET NUMBER OF ERRORS FOR EACH TEST PROCESS

2.IMPORTANCE OF CODE REVIEW

3.SYSTEMATIC TESTS

●USE EXTERNAL SPECIFICATION AND INTERNAL 　　　　　　　　　 SPECIFICATION TESTS

●TECHNIQUE FOR SETTING TEST ITEMS MUST BE BASED ON 　 CLEAR AND APPROPRIATE TEST CRITERIA

●USE TEST COVERAGE MEASURES AND TECHNIQUES

4.REUSING TESTING TECHNIQUES AND REDUCING TEST LABOR REQUIREMENTS

5.SYSTEM TESTING

QUALITY TARGET MANAGEMENT

2.DRAWING MANAGEMENT

CURVE

1.SET QUALITY TARGET

3.MONITOR

4.QUALITYESTIMATION

●FORECASTING ERRORS BY GROWTH CURVE (FRCST)●QUALITY PROBE 〔 QP 〕

5.QUALITYIMPROVEMENT

6.TARGET REVIEW

QUALITY PROBE 〔 QP 〕

PURPOSE:

MEASURE AND ESTIMATE SOFTWARE QUALITY DURING

TEST STAGE BY QUALITY ASSURANCE DEPARTMENT

METHOD:

●SAMPLING TEST 〔 10%~20% OF TEST ITEMS 〕 ●OPERATIONAL USE BY INSPECTORS

●ANALYSIS AND ESTIMATION OF THE RESULT

－ HIDDEN BUGS ESTIMATE

〔 QUANTITATIVE 〕　　　－ IDENTIFYING WEAK POINTS OF DESIGN

〔 QUALITATIVE 〕

PRODUCT INSPECTION

PURPOSE:

JUDGING WHETHER THE SOFTWARE PRODUCTS ARE

ACCEPTABLE

METHOD:

●JUDGEMENT IS MADE FROM THE CUSTOMER’S POINT OF 　　 VIEW

●PRODUCT INSPECTION USES A COMPUTER TO RUN THE 　　　 SOFTWARE PRODUCTS

●IF IT FAILS, THE DESIGN DEPARTMENT IMPROVES 　　　　　　　 QUALITY AGAIN, AND INSPECTION IS REPEATED

Distribution of Software Faults

(QA Dpt.)

21.9

53.8

SYSTEM TEST

AIMS:

●TEST AS A TOTAL SYSTEM

－ RUN TEST IN ACTUAL OR SIMULATED USER ENVIRONMENTS

－ ABNORMAL TEST WITH ERRORS, ABNORMAL OPERATIONS AND

OVERLOAD DATA EXPECTED TO OCCUR IN THE ACTUAL

ENVIRONMENT

－ PERFORMANCE EVALUATION TEST

FACILITIES OF HITACHI’S SYSTEM TEST CENTER:(REFERED TO AS SST)

●HARDWARE EQUIPMENT INCLUDING 17 LARGE SCALE COMPUTERS

●NETWORK EQUIPMENT

●SIMULATORS(INCLUDING MULTIPLE TERMINAL SIMULATORS, AND

HARDWARE ERROR SIMULATORS

●SUPPORT TOOLS

SYSTEM SIMULATION TEST