Survey of Verification and Validation Techniques for Small Satellite Software Development

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the current trends and practices in small-satellite software verification and validation. This document is not intended to promote a specific software assurance method. Rather, it seeks to present an unbiased survey of software assurance methods used to verify and validate small satellite software and to make mention of the benefits and value of each approach. These methods include simulation and testing, verification and validation with model-based design, formal methods, and fault-tolerant software design with run-time monitoring. Although the literature reveals that simulation and testing has by far the longest legacy, model-based design methods are proving to be useful for software verification and validation. Some work in formal methods, though not widely used for any satellites, may offer new ways to improve small satellite software verification and validation. These methods need to be further advanced to deal with the state explosion problem and to make them more usable by small-satellite software engineers to be regularly applied to software verification. Last, it is explained how run-time monitoring, combined with fault-tolerant software design methods, provides an important means to detect and correct software errors that escape the verification process or those errors that are produced after launch through the effects of ionizing radiation

Managers\u27 Responses to Formal and Informal Talent Management Practices: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study

Management of talent ranks high among today’s organizational issues. Accordingly, organizations are seeking relevant approaches to markedly interpret and improve employees’ talents. Despite these efforts, inconsistent definitions of talent and talent management (TM), along with insufficient empirical research, make it difficult to identify and comprehend the impact of TM practices or its absence on managers and their responses. A convergent parallel mixed methods design using the Exit, Voice, Loyalty, and Neglect (EVLN) framework was used to identify (a) how managers respond to formal and informal talent management practices in organizations and (b) which variables – such as the level of involvement in the TM design process, the level of use of one’s skills, and the general level of satisfaction with TM related issues – mainly impact EVLN. Initially, 70 anonymous quantitative surveys were distributed to a group of managers. Fifteen interviews followed. Data was then examined using both quantitative and qualitative analytical procedures including correlation, independent samples t-test, and regression analysis. Significant findings revealed that formal TM practices promoted managers’ involvement in the TM design process followed by an increase in active constructive responses, while at the same time minimizing passive destructive responses. In addition, significant results showed that formality in TM practices implied higher levels of satisfaction, substantially reducing managers’ willingness to leave their organizations. Further, within informal TM settings, managers tended to rely exclusively on involvement in order to increase active constructive behaviors. This study provides useful data revealing how managers respond in both formal and informal TM settings. Lastly, this study informs theory regarding managers’ involvement in the design and implementation of TM practices in organizations

What is the method in applying formal methods to PLC applications?

The question we investigate is how to obtain PLC applications with confidence in their proper functioning. Especially, we are interested in the contribution that formal methods can provide for their development. Our maxim is that the place of a particular formal method in the total picture of system development should be made very clear. Developers and customers ought to understand very well what they can rely on or not, and we see our task in trying to make this explicit. Therefore, for us the answer to the question above leads to the following questions: Which parts of the system can be treated formally? What formal methods and tools can be applied? What does their successful application tell (or does not) about the proper functioning of the whole system

A study of information & knowledge generated during engineering design meetings

During the design process, there is a wealth of information generated, and although it may not be obvious at the time, this information can be extremely useful at a later instance when it may be no longer available. Many information capture solutions utilise tools such as video and media capture, incorporating the idea that if you capture all information then you will not miss anything. However, this creates another problem. Not all the information captured will be useful, therefore how can you distinguish the information that is useful from information that is not? The challenge many organisations face is how to capture and store valuable informal information in a way that is both simple and efficient, whilst remaining unobtrusive to the designers involved and without inhibiting the design activities. Through the undertaking of a series of case studies and test scenarios, it is possible to observe, identify and evaluate the various degrees of information and knowledge being generated and passed amongst design engineering teams whilst performing design activities in meeting situations. Using multi-media recording equipment and observation techniques, insight can be gained into the decision making process design engineering teams encounter during the course of a design project, and thus it is possible to evaluate where improved techniques can be applied to enhance the recording of information for re-use

A Guide to Using Qualitative Research Methodology

A beginner's guide to using qualitative research methodologyA guide to using qualitative research methodology developed by OCA and an external academi

Research Priorities for Robust and Beneficial Artificial Intelligence

Success in the quest for artificial intelligence has the potential to bring unprecedented benefits to humanity, and it is therefore worthwhile to investigate how to maximize these benefits while avoiding potential pitfalls. This article gives numerous examples (which should by no means be construed as an exhaustive list) of such worthwhile research aimed at ensuring that AI remains robust and beneficial.Comment: This article gives examples of the type of research advocated by the open letter for robust & beneficial AI at http://futureoflife.org/ai-open-lette

Mathematics and language

This essay considers the special character of mathematical reasoning, and draws on observations from interactive theorem proving and the history of mathematics to clarify the nature of formal and informal mathematical language. It proposes that we view mathematics as a system of conventions and norms that is designed to help us make sense of the world and reason efficiently. Like any designed system, it can perform well or poorly, and the philosophy of mathematics has a role to play in helping us understand the general principles by which it serves its purposes well