UNDER CONSTRUCTION
11. Software Measurements Activity Overview
Numerous years of experience on many NASA projects demonstrate the following three key reasons for software measurement activities: (1) to understand and model software engineering processes and products, (2) to aid in assessing the status of software projects, (3) to guide improvements in software engineering processes.NASA software measurement programs are now being designed to provide the specific information necessary to manage software products, projects, and services.
The reporting requirement intends to provide access to the software metric data during the project life cycle for those Agency and Center-defined organizations responsible for assessing and utilizing the metric data.
It is very important to consider constraints on resources in the design of a system so that the development effort can make appropriate decisions for both hardware and software components. As development proceeds, it is important to check regularly that the software is meeting the performance and functionality constraints. These results should be reported at major milestone reviews and regularly to the Project Manager.
Requirements volatility is one of the leading causes of the software development effort not completing on schedule and budget. Software requirements volatility is one key factor in assessing the status of a software project. The later in the project requirements changes occur, the more impact those changes can have on project completion on time and within budget.
Frequency Of This Activity
Measurements and Metrics serve as a means to monitor project performance. This activity is performed continuously throughout the project to give the project team and upper levels of management visibility and an opportunity to exercise control over the project. They are driven by:
- regularly scheduled monitoring events in the project
- planned reviews such as PDR, CDR, etc.
- releases of software for testing and use by other projects and missions
11.1 Related SWEs
- SWE-090 - Management and Technical Measurements - 5.4.2 The project manager shall establish, record, maintain, report, and utilize software management and technical measurements.
- SWE-093 - Analysis of Measurement Data - 5.4.3 The project manager shall analyze software measurement data collected using documented project-specified and Center/organizational analysis procedures.
- SWE-094 - Reporting of Measurement Analysis - 5.4.4 The project manager shall provide access to the software measurement data, measurement analyses, and software development status as requested to the sponsoring Mission Directorate, the NASA Chief Engineer, the Center Technical Authorities, HQ SMA, and other organizations as appropriate.
- SWE-199 - Performance Measures - 5.4.5 The project manager shall monitor measures to ensure the software will meet or exceed performance and functionality requirements, including satisfying constraints.
- SWE-200 - Software Requirements Volatility Metrics - 5.4.6 The project manager shall collect, track, and report software requirements volatility metrics.
Institutional SWEs
- SWE-091 - Establish and Maintain Measurement Repository - 2.1.5.7 For Class A, B, and C software projects, the Center Director, or designee, shall establish and maintain a software measurement repository for software project measurements containing at a minimum:
a. Software development tracking data.
b. Software functionality achieved data.
c. Software quality data.
d. Software development effort and cost data. - SWE-092 - Using Measurement Data - 2.1.5.8 For Class A, B, and C software projects, the Center Director, or designee, shall utilize software measurement data for monitoring software engineering capability, improving software quality, and to track the status of software engineering improvement activities.
11.2 Related Work Products
- Metrics collection processes
- Metrics storage processes
- Metrics analysis processes
- Metrics Reporting processes
- 5.05 - Metrics - Software Metrics Report - Minimum recommended content for the Software Metrics Report.
- Measurement Analysis Results
- 7.08 - Maturity of Life Cycle Products at Milestone Reviews - This chart summarizes current guidance approved by the NASA Office of the Chief Engineer (OCE) for software engineering life cycle products and their maturity level at the various software project life cycle reviews.
- 7.09 - Entrance and Exit Criteria - This guidance provides the recommended life cycle review entrance and exit criteria for software projects and should be tailored for the project class.
- A.10 Software Peer Reviews and Inspections - Processes are good candidates for a Peer Review
11.2.1 Related Process Asset Templates
11.3 Related Topics
- 7.14 - Implementing Measurement Requirements and Analysis for Projects - Provides guidance for projects implementing the NPR 7150.2 requirements addressing or including software measurement.
- 8.03 - Organizational Goals of Software Assurance Metrics - Derivation of SA Metrics from the Goal Statements using the Goal, Question, Metric method.
- 8.18 - SA Suggested Metrics - This topic contains the complete list of software assurance/safety metrics that are suggested for use with the SA tasks in NASA-STD-8739.8.
11.4 Related SPAN Links