Glossary – T

tailor
to optimize (i.e., add, modify, or delete a part of) a process component or process convention so that the process more closely fits the endeavor for which it was constructed.
tailoring guideline
a guideline for tailoring a process component to meet the needs of a specific project.
tape library
an automated library used to store massive amounts of information on magnetic tape cartridges. A tape library typically contains tape drives for reading and writing information, access ports for entering and removing tapes, and robots for moving tapes between storage cells, drives, and access ports.
Contrast with disk library.
task
a mid-level work unit that is a functionally cohesive operation performed by a producer. A single responsibility of a producer will be fulfilled by the execution of one or more tasks. A task results in the creation, modification, or evaluation of a version of one or more work products.
Contrast with activity and technique.
task performance
an OPF process component that models the performance of a single specific task by a specific producer.
team
a producer modeled as a cohesive group of roles (or aggregation of component teams) that collaborates to perform the tasks comprising the workflows that produce a cohesive collection of work products.
Contrast with role and tool.
technical leader
the role that is played when a person provides techical leadership on an endeavor.
technical writer
the role that is played when a person produces technical documentation by incorporating content and corrections from other roles.
technique
a low-level work unit that is a reified implementation (i.e., way of performing) of a task using the Strategy Pattern. In order to provide flexibility during instantiation and tailoring, producers may delegate the performance of their own tasks to techniques.
Contrast with activity and task.
technology analysis
the requirements work product produced during business (re)engineering that documents the results of the analysis of the technology that can significantly impact the customer organization’s applications.
technology strategist
the role that is played when a person develops the technology strategy for a customer’s business enterprise.
technology strategy
the architecture work product produced during business engineering that documents the customer organization’s technology strategy.
technology strategy team
the team that produces the technology strategy.
telephone server
a server computer (a.k.a., voice gateway server) that enables users use telephones to interact with applications. Telephone servers typically:
template
a convention that acts as an incomplete initial version of a document or software component.
Contrast with standard.
terminal
a traditional ultra-light client computer without significant memory or processing power that is used to communicate it a server computer.
test
a verification and validation technique consisting of the controlled execution of a work product under specified conditions in the attempt to cause one or more failures that can lead to the identification and elimination of previously unknown underlying defects.
testability
(1) a developer-oriented quality requirement specifying the ease with which an application or component facilitates the creation and execution of successful tests (i.e., tests that cause failures due to underlying defects).
(2) a quality factor measuring the ease with which an application or component facilitates the creation and execution of successful tests.
Note that testability is a combination of controllable and observability.
test case
a testing work product that automatically performs a single test on an executable work product.
test completion criteria
documented criteria used to determine the adequacy of testing. A specific kind of testing can be stopped when the associated test completion criteria are met.
Note: Because the number of potential test cases is typically indefinitely large, test completion criteria are almost never comprehensive.
test data
a testing work product that captures the cohesive information (e.g., data or objects) that exists in the form of a file or database that tests need to execute successfully.
test design
the task of designing the testing work products (e.g., test suites of test cases).
(a.k.a., tester) test engineer
the role that is played when a person performs testing tasks.
test environment
the complete integrated set of hardware and associated software tools that is used by the system test team to perform system testing on an application.
Contrast with development environment, integration environment, production environment, and reuse environment.
test evaluation
the task of evaluating the test work products and the performance of the testing tasks.
test execution
the task of running the test scripts and executing the test suites of test cases.
test harness
a testing work product modeling a software tool that automates the testing process by running test suites of test cases.
test implementation
the task of implementing the test software and test data.
testing
the activity consisting of the cohesive collection of all tasks that are primarily performed to execute work products (e.g., model, software, and application) in order to cause failures so that the underlying defects may be identified, eliminated, and avoided in the future.
test inspection team
the team that inspects the deliverable work products in the testing work product set.
test monitor
the role that is played when a person monitors a test participant during a usability test.
test participant
the role that is played when a person takes a usability test.
test planning
the task of planning the testing activity that will take place on a project.
test procedure (TP)
a testing work product that documents how to manually execute a test suite of test cases.
test report (TR)
a testing work product that formally reports the results of the execution of a test suite of test cases.
test reporting
the task of reporting the results of test execution to the relevant stakeholders.
test reuse
the task of reusing reusable test work products on the project.
test script
a testing work product modeling a software program (often written in a procedural scripting language) that executes a test suite of test cases.
test set
the set of all work products that are produced during the testing activity.
Contrast with architecture set, deployment set design set, implementation set, management set, process set, and requirements set.
test suite
a testing work product consisting of a cohesive collection of related test cases.
test summary report (TSR)
a testing work product that formally summarizes the results of project testing.
throughput
(1) a user-oriented performance quality requirement specifying the number of times that an application or component shall be able to execute a specific operation or use case path in a specific unit of time (e.g., second, minute, hour, or business day).
(2) a quality factor measuring the actual number of times that an application or component executes a specific operation or use case path in a specific unit of time.
Contrast with capacity, , and response time.
throw-away prototype
a prototype that is discarded after it has served its purpose.
Contrast with evolutionary prototype.
See also comparitive prototype, demonstrative prototype, and elicitory prototype.
tier
a major horizontal collection of hardware components in a layered hardware architecture. Each tier typically communicates only with the tiers immediately above and below it. For example, a 4-tier hardware architecture may consist (top to bottom) of a client tier, a web-server tier, an application server tier, and a database server tier.
Contrast with layer.
timeliness
(1) a user-oriented correctness quality requirement specifying the degree to which an application or component ensures that its information is current (i.e., up-to-date).
(2) a quantitative quality factor measuring the degree to which an application or component ensures that its information is current, typically measured in terms of milliseconds, seconds, minutes, hours, or days.
See also allowable latent defects, accuracy, and precision.
time-boxed
describing a development cycle whereby the component stages are limited in duration by scheduling its starting and ending dates (e.g., by scheduling the milestone that marks its end).
tool
a software application that automatically produces or modifies a work product. For example, a word processor, a CASE tool, a compiler, etc.
tool manual
a convention that describes a tool and how to use it.
toolsmith
the role that is played when a person develops, tests, and updates tools during an endeavor.
trainer
the role that is played when a person performs training tasks.
training
the activity of providing training to developers on how to develop applications and customers on how to operate applications.
training delivery
the training task of delivering training to attendees of training sessions.
training materials
the training work products that document information to be trained on an endeavor (e.g., that are presented to attendees at training sessions).
training materials production
the training task of developing training materials.
training needs assessment
1) the training task of determining the amount and types of training to be provided.
2) the training work product that documents the results of the training needs assessment task.
training plan
the training work product that documents plans for performing training on an endeavor.
training planning
the training task of planning the training for an endeavor.
training schedule
the training work product that documents the detailed schedule for all training on an endeavor.
training scheduling
the training task of scheduling the development and presentation of training courses on an endeavor.
training team
the team that provides training on the endeavor.
training vendor assessment
the training work product that documents the results of assessing the training vendors and their offerings.
training vendor selection
the training task of assessing and selecting training vendors and their offerings.
training set
the cohesive collection of all training-related work products that are produced during the training activity.
transmitter
a network connectivity device that transmits signals via electromagnetic radiation.
Note that transmitters may transmit infrared light, microwave radiation, or radio waves.
type
A logical kind (concept) characterized in terms of its name, definition, responsibilities, interface, and protocol (e.g., via a state model). Unlike a class, a type has no implementation. A type can be implemented by multiple classes.