A Probabilistic Software System Attribute Acceptance Paradigm for COTS Software Evaluation

Abstract

Standard software requirement formats are written from top-down perspectives only, that is, from an ideal notion of a client's needs. Despite the exactness of the standard format, software and system errors in designed systems have abounded. Bad and inadequate requirements have resulted in cost overruns, schedule slips and lost profitability. Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software components are even more troublesome than designed systems because they are often provided as is and subsequently delivered with unsubstantiated validation of described capabilities. For COTS software, there needs to be a way to express the client's software needs in a consistent and formal manner using software system attributes derived from software quality standards. Additionally, the format needs to be amenable to software evaluation processes that integrate observable evidence garnered from historical data. This paper presents a paradigm that effectively

Revealing the ISO/IEC 9126-1 Clique Tree for COTS Software Evaluation

“…The first problem involves the inability to accommodate COTS software trade-offs in the requirements acquisition process. Morris 2 has proposed an attribute acceptance paradigm that can effectively bridge the gap between what a client desires and what has been demonstrated via evidence for COTS software evaluations. The second problem involves establishing a set of consistent definitions and qualitative structures for software attributes.…”