Pinset : A DSL for extracting datasets from models for data mining-based quality analysis

Data mining techniques have been successfully applied to software quality analysis and assurance, including quality of modeling artefacts. Before such techniques can be used, though, data under analysis commonly need to be formatted into two-dimensional tables. This constraint is imposed by data mining algorithms, which typically require a collection of records as input for their computations. The process of extracting data from the corresponding sources and formatting them properly can become error-prone and cumbersome. In the case of models, this process is mostly carried out through scripts written in a model management language, such as EOL or ATL. To improve this situation, we present Pinset, a domain-specific language devised for the extraction of tabular datasets from software models. Pinset offers a tailored syntax and built-in facilities for common activities in dataset extraction. For evaluation, Pinset has been used on UML class diagrams to calculate metrics that can be employed as input for several fault-prediction algorithms. The use of Pinset for this calculations led to more compact and high-level specifications when compared to equivalent scripts written in generic model management languages

Early evaluation of security functionality in software projects - some experience on using the common criteria in a quality management process

This paper documents the experiences of assurance evaluation during the early stage of a large software development project. This project researches, contracts and integrates privacy-respecting software to business environments. While assurance evaluation with ISO 15408 Common Criteria (CC) within the certification schemes is done after a system has been completed, our approach executes evaluation during the early phases of the software life cycle. The promise is to increase quality and to reduce testing and fault removal costs for later phases of the development process. First results from the still-ongoing project suggests that the Common Criteria can define a framework for assurance evaluation in ongoing development projects.Dieses Papier dokumentiert den Versuch, mittels der Common Criteria nach ISO 15408 bereits während der Erstellung eines Softwaresystems dessen Sicherheitseigenschaften zu überprüfen. Dies geschieht im Gegensatz zur üblichen Post-Entwicklungs-Evaluation

Safety-related challenges and opportunities for GPUs in the automotive domain

GPUs have been shown to cover the computing performance needs of autonomous driving (AD) systems. However, since the GPUs used for AD build on designs for the mainstream market, they may lack fundamental properties for correct operation under automotive's safety regulations. In this paper, we analyze some of the main challenges in hardware and software design to embrace GPUs as the reference computing solution for AD, with the emphasis in ISO 26262 functional safety requirements.Authors would like to thank Guillem Bernat from Rapita Systems for his technical feedback on this work. The research leading to this work has received funding from the European Re-search Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No. 772773). This work has also been partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under grant TIN2015-65316-P and the HiPEAC Network of Excellence. Jaume Abella has been partially supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under Ramon y Cajal postdoctoral fellowship number RYC-2013-14717. Carles Hernández is jointly funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and FEDER funds through grant TIN2014-60404-JIN.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Model Based Mission Assurance: NASA's Assurance Future

Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is seeing increased application in planning and design of NASAs missions. This suggests the question: what will be the corresponding practice of Model Based Mission Assurance (MBMA)? Contemporaneously, NASAs Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) is evaluating a new objectives based approach to standards to ensure that the Safety and Mission Assurance disciplines and programs are addressing the challenges of NASAs changing missions, acquisition and engineering practices, and technology. MBSE is a prominent example of a changing engineering practice. We use NASAs objectives-based strategy for Reliability and Maintainability as a means to examine how MBSE will affect assurance. We surveyed MBSE literature to look specifically for these affects, and find a variety of them discussed (some are anticipated, some are reported from applications to date). Predominantly these apply to the early stages of design, although there are also extrapolations of how MBSE practices will have benefits for testing phases. As the effort to develop MBMA continues, it will need to clearly and unambiguously establish the roles of uncertainty and risk in the system model. This will enable a variety of uncertainty-based analyses to be performed much more rapidly than ever before and has the promise to increase the integration of CRM (Continuous Risk Management) and PRA (Probabilistic Risk Analyses) even more fully into the project development life cycle. Various views and viewpoints will be required for assurance disciplines, and an over-arching viewpoint will then be able to more completely characterize the state of the project/program as well as (possibly) enabling the safety case approach for overall risk awareness and communication

ASSESSING QUALITY MANAGEMENT RELATIONSHIP IN PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION IN TAIWAN USING FAULT TREE ANALYSIS

ISO 9000 has gained popularity and is being applied to manufacture-related companies all over the world as a system of standards related to quality assurance management and control. Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) is an important risk-evaluating technique and has been used to present the relationships among the elements of the ISO 9001 standard in ISO implementation. However, a review of the literature suggests that it is much more difficult to manage quality in relation to construction industry due to its generic nature. This paper used FTA to evaluate the relationships among the elements of the ISO 9001:2008 standard and the root causes of defects on public construction quality assessed by Taiwan Public Construction Commission from year 2005 to 2007. Based on the results in this study, ISO 9000 quality management practices may be needed more emphasized in certain stages, the failed probability of check stage was potentially the highest. The implementation of plan stage was also likely to have a significant effect on public construction quality and this showed the importance of the two major elements of the ISO 9001 standard.Public Construction, ISO 9001 Quality Management System, Fault Tree Analysis, Taiwan

Integrated assurance assessment of a reconfigurable digital flight control system

The integrated application of reliability, failure effects and system simulator methods in establishing the airworthiness of a flight critical digital flight control system (DFCS) is demonstrated. The emphasis was on the mutual reinforcement of the methods in demonstrating the system safety

Developing a distributed electronic health-record store for India

The DIGHT project is addressing the problem of building a scalable and highly available information store for the Electronic Health Records (EHRs) of the over one billion citizens of India