Ieee 829

P829/D8, July 2007

ANSI/IEEE Std P829-2007 July 30, 2007

Draft IEEE Standard for software and system test documentation

Sponsored by the Software and Systems Engineering Standards Collection of the IEEE Computer Society

Copyright © 2007 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. Three Park Avenue New York, New York 10016-5997, USA All rights reserved.

Thisdocument is an unapproved draft of a proposed IEEE Standard. As such, this document is subject to change. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK! Because this is an unapproved draft, this document must not be utilized for any conformance/compliance purposes. Permission is hereby granted for IEEE Standards Committee participants to reproduce this document for purposes of international standardization consideration. Priorto adoption of this document, in whole or in part, by another standards development organization permission must first be obtained from the IEEE Standards Activities Department (stds.ipr@ieee.org). Other entities seeking permission to reproduce this document, in whole or in part, must also obtain permission from the IEEE Standards Activities Department.

IEEE Standards Activities Department 445Hoes Lane Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA

P829/D8, July 2007

Prepared by the IEEE Std 829 Working Group of the Software and Systems Engineering Standards Committee

Abstract: Test processes determine whether the development products of a given activity conform to the requirements of that activity and whether the system and/or software satisfies its intended use and user needs. Testing processtasks are specified for different integrity levels. These process tasks determine the appropriate breadth and depth of test documentation. The documentation elements for each type of test documentation can then be selected. The scope of testing encompasses software-based systems, computer software, hardware and their interfaces. This standard applies to software-based systems being developed,maintained, or reused (legacy, COTS, Non-Developmental Items). The term software also includes firmware, microcode and documentation. Test processes can include inspection, analysis, demonstration, verification and validation of software products.

Keywords: Testing, test documentation, integrity level, and life cycle

Copyright © 2007 IEEE. All rights reserved. This is an unapproved IEEEStandards Draft, subject to change.

ii

P829/D8, July 2007

Introduction (This introduction is not part of IEEE Standard 829-2007, Standard for software and system test documentation) Software and software-based systems testing is a technical discipline of systems engineering. The purpose of software and software-based systems testing is to help the development organization build quality into thesoftware and system during the life cycle processes and to validate that the quality was achieved. The test processes determine whether the products of a given life cycle activity conform to the requirements of that activity, and whether the product satisfies its intended use and user needs. This determination can include inspection, demonstration, analysis, and testing of software andsoftware-based system products. Test activities are performed in parallel with software and system development, not just at the conclusion of the development effort. The test activities provide objective data and conclusions about software and system quality. This feedback can include anomaly identification, performance measurement, and identification of potential quality improvements for expected operatingconditions across the full spectrum of the software-based systems and their interfaces. Early feedback results allow the development organization to modify the products in a timely fashion and thereby reduce overall project and schedule impacts. Without a proactive approach, anomalies and associated changes are typically delayed to later in the schedule, resulting in greater costs and schedule...