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104
NATO SOFTWARE ENGINEERING CONFERENCE 1968
9. Working Papers
Is at least one person engaged in software quality assurance for every ten engaged in its fabrication?
Whenever tests are specified as a part of national or international standards, are these utilized?
Are there tests for overall system performance as well as for components (i.e., road-testing, French: ‘rodage’)?
Are software quality assurance tests a part of the general hardware acceptance test on the customer’s machine before it leaves the factory’?
Can software field release be held up if these tests are not passed?
Do the tests include a system logic exerciser?
Are tests provided to ensure matching of computational results with those of other equipment?
Is there a growing test library for each software system, including
a) a test for roster consistency and permissibility of hardware and software configurations requested
b) a program acceptance filter
c) specifically designed quality assurance tests for components
d) accumulated field reports?
Is this test library applied upon issuance of each modification of the software system?
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Is each customer’s system tape tested on the software production machine for a sufficient period of time, where feasible?
Are Q/A personnel employed part time on maintenance of older systems, for efficiency and competence in judging?
10. FIELD INSTALLATION
After delivery and putting hardware in service, is the software similarly delivered in person and verified to be operable on the customer’s machine at his site?
Are a selected subset of the customer’s programs, which previously ran upon his machine at the factory test line, then run in order to have him sign an acceptance form for rental payment or purchase price?
Does the field installation programmer remain at the site until programs execute correctly?
Is there a follow-up plan to ensure that systems do not stay off rental?
Is this service performed by Field Engineering personnel?
11. DISTRIBUTION AND UPDATING
Is there a centralized library and distribution operation?
Is it responsible for maintaining records on users and their equipment insofar as it is necessary to distribute
a) software systems (cards, tapes, etc.)
b) manuals and other documentation
c) supporting material such as coding forms, code cards, CAD interchange forms, housing devices for supplies, flowchart templates, listing binders and training aids, both filmed and programmed
d) lists of various software materials available to sales and support personnel, with order prices
e) lists and abstracts of basic software and interchange programs available for distribution, grouped by category of software maintenance, by machine, by industry and by application — with schedules of availability