a
model of something that
captures all of its essential characteristics while ignoring
all of its diversionary details.
Contrast withclass,
object, and
type.
a user-oriented
quality
requirement specifying the degree to which an
application or user interface shall
be usable by
users with common
disabilities, whether auditory, visual, physical, or
cognitive.
a categorization of accidents based on an estimate of
their probability of occurrence.
Examples include frequent, probable, unlikely,
remote, and negligible.
a categorization of accidents based on an assessment of
the magnitude of their negative consequences.
Examples include catastrophic, critical, marginal,
and negligible.
a quantitative quality factor measuring the magnitude of
a defect.
For example, a temperature sensor a temperature
sensor is accurate to .1 degree Celsius if the temperature
measurement returned by the temperature sensor is always
within .1 degree of the true temperature.
Contrast withallowable latent
defects,
precision, and
timeliness.
a user-oriented
correctnessquality
requirement specifying the maximum permitted magnitude of
defects (i.e., deviations of the average measurement from
their true value).
Note that the term actor often refers to the
role that is played by a person, whereas in English, the term
actor means the person that plays the role. Thus, the word
“actor” is a misnomer and a source of confusion. The word
“external role” would be more accurate and less misleading.
Note that in UML, an actor refers to any external,
and the stick figure icon for an actor can represent a
hardware device or application. This is also misleading.
a hardware output
device that translates
electrical signals into mechanical actions.
For example a stepper motor that turns its shaft a
certain amount in response to an electrical signal received
via a digital-to-analog converter from a computer.
(1) a user-oriented c
correctnessquality
requirement specifying the degree to which an application,
component, or other work product shall be free from defects
upon delivery to the customer organization.
(2) a quality factor measuring the degree to which an
application, component, or other work product is actually
free from defects upon delivery to the customer organization,
measured in terms of either known (but not fixed) or
estimated remaining defects.
Contrast withaccuracy,
precision, and
timeliness.
a hardware input
device that translates the
input device’s (e.g., sensor) analog signals into the
corresponding digital signals required by a
computer.
Contrast
digital-to-analog converter.
the
architecture engineeringtask of a business
[re]engineering
endeavor during which potential new
applications or new versions of
existing applications are evaluated and selected for
development.
the
architecture work product produced
during business engineering that documents the customer
organization’s strategy for producing future
applications.
the requirements work product produced during application
development that documents the customer organization’s vision
of a single
application.
Contrast withbusiness
vision statement.
documentation of a part of an architecture that should
typically include the following contents:
Overview, which names the type of view, states the scope of the
view, and defines the view (e.g., a configuration view of
the system that shows how the system is decomposed into
collaborating subsystems).
View Diagram, which is a diagram that documents the relationships
between the relevant architectural elements and which
includes a legend defining the notation used (i.e., the
icons for all nodes and arcs) on the diagram.
Element Catalog, which lists and describes the relevant architectural
elements (i.e., the nodes and arcs between nodes on the
view diagram) in terms of their externally-visible
characteristics and behavior.
View Context, which shows how the architectural elements shown in
the view are related to elements external to the view.
Variability Guide, which documents how the view of the architecture
provides any necessary variability (e.g., when the
architecture is used to support multiple systems within a
product line).
Analysis and Rationale, which documents the reasons why the part of the
architecture described by the view were selected (e.g.,
which briefly lists the relevant architectural drivers and
provides compelling evidence that the architecture fullfils
them).
Alternatives Considered and Rejected, which briefly describes alternative architectures
that were considered and rejected including the reasons for
their rejection.
Assumptions, which briefly lists any assumptions on which the
chosen architecture was based.
a Boolean (i.e., logical) expression specifying the state
of an application, object, or use case that must exist at one
or more specific points during execution.
Note that assertions can be used to specify the
designer’s intent.
Note that assertions also improve robustness when
used to raise exceptions when violated.
See alsoinvariant,
postcondition, and
precondition.
a
quality controltechnique that consists
of the independent examination of a
baseline by a
project-external team to determine if it is complete and
ready for release to the
customer
organization.
Note that audits are used to assess compliance with
the contract, requirements specifications, design documents,
standards, etc.
See alsoinspection,
review, and
walkthrough.
(1) a user-oriented
quality
requirement specifying the degree to which an
application shall keep sufficient
records to support a financial audit (e.g., to determine
whether financial transactions have occurred as
claimed).
(2) a quality factor measuring the degree to which an
application actually keeps sufficient records to support a
financial audit.
Contrast with
nonrepudiation.
(2) a quality factor measuring the extent to which an
application or component actually verifies the identify of
its externals.
(3) a security
mechanism used to
verify identities and thereby implement authentication
requirements.
Note that authentication depends on
identification.
Note that authentication requirements are typically
implemented using one or more of the following types of
security mechanisms:
What You Know - for example, passwords or
pass phrase, address, mother’s maiden name, and last four
digits of the social security number.
What You Have - for example, a digital
certificate, a token, and PKI-enabled smart card.
Who You Are - Either physiological traits
(e.g., finger print, hand print, face recognition, iris
recognition, and retina scan) or behavioral characteristics
(e.g., voice pattern, signature style, and keystroke
dynamics).
Which
externals have been
granted the privileges to access or use specific
application or
component capabilities or information by a properly
appointed person or persons on behalf of an
organization.
That access is prohibited unless specifically
authorized.
(2) a quality factor measuring whether externals can
access specific application or component capabilities or
information if and only if they have actually been properly
granted the privileges to do so.
(3) a security
mechanism used to
implement authorization requirements (e.g., by providing
access control configuration and enforcement).
Note that authorization depends on prior
identification and authentication.
Contrast withaccess control,
authentication, and
identification.
