从软件质量控制到软件质量保证

From Software Quality Control to Quality Assurance

本文阐述了在嵌入式系统和在其他执行关键任务的软件中由传统的软件质量控制技术到前涉的质量保证方案的转化: 软件在每一个产品和每一个组织中所发挥的作用日益重要。近年来,执行关键任务的应用系统的数量以指数速度增长。这些系统要么失败后损失巨大(空中交通管制系统和其他生命支持产品),要么纠正费用高(便携式电话和其他用户产品)。为嵌入式系统设计的软件在更多的时候属于“执行关键任务”的范畴,而对嵌入式系统的需求也在继续升温,因此对前涉的质量保证的需求要高于以往任何时候。 本文把质量控制到质量保证的转化分为两个阶段: 质量评估(第一阶段):在开发周期的早期,即在软件到达用户之前,甚至在测试之前识别和排除软件故障,同时提供客观定量的质量评估; 质量保证(第二阶段):在作更改的时候,通过精确的影响分析,采用强制执行编码标准和防止新错误出现的方法来防止错误进入代码基数。

This paper addresses the transformation of traditional software quality control techniques to a proactive quality assurance program within embedded systems and other mission critical software: Software plays an increasingly important role in every product and organization. The number of mission critical applications,those with a high cost of failure (air traffic control systems and other life support products),or a high cost to fix(cellular phones and other consumer products) , have increased exponentially in recent years. Software for embedded systems more often than not fits this profile of 'mission critical, 'and with the forecast for embedded systems continuing to accelerate,the need for proactive quality assurance is higher than ever before. This paper previews a two-stage approach to transforming quality control to quality assurance: Quality Assessment (Stage 1) provides objective quantitative evaluation of quality while identifying and fixing software defects early in the development cycle, before they get to the customer and even before testing; Quality Assurance (Stage 2) helps prevent defects from entering the code base by enforcing coding standards during,and by preventing new defects from occurring during times of change through accurate impact analysis.