Identifying dependability requirements for space software systems

Romani, Marcos Alécio dos Santos; Lahoz, Carlos Henrique Netto; Yano, Edgar Toshiro

doi:10.5028/jatm.2010.02037810

Abstract:

Computer systems are increasingly used in space, whether in launch vehicles, satellites, ground support and payload systems. Software applications used in these systems have become more complex, mainly due to the high number of features to be met, thus contributing to a greater probability of hazards related to software faults. Therefore, it is fundamental that the specification activity of requirements have a decisive role in the effort of obtaining systems with high quality and safety standards. In critical systems like the embedded software of the Brazilian Satellite Launcher, ambiguity, non-completeness, and lack of good requirements can cause serious accidents with economic, material and human losses. One way to assure quality with safety, reliability and other dependability attributes may be the use of safety analysis techniques during the initial phases of the project in order to identify the most adequate dependability requirements to minimize possible fault or failure occurrences during the subsequent phases. This paper presents a structured software dependability requirements analysis process that uses system software requirement specifications and traditional safety analysis techniques. The main goal of the process is to help to identify a set of essential software dependability requirements which can be added to the software requirement previously specified for the system. The final results are more complete, consistent, and reliable specifications.

Keywords:
dependability; software systems; requirements; space computer systems; criticality analysis

Full text is available only in PDF.

REFERENCES

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Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
Sep-Dec 2010

History

Received
17 June 2010
Accepted
01 Oct 2010

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

[1] Barbacci, M. et al., 1995, "Quality Attributes, Technical Report CMU/SEI-95-TR-021", Pittsburgh, USA: Software Engineering Institute/Carnegie Mellon University, 56 p.

[2] Camargo Junior, J.B., Almeida Junior, J.R. and Melnikof, S.S.S., 1997, "O uso de fatores de qualidade na avaliação da segurança de software em sistemas críticos". Proceedings of Conferência internacional de tecnologia de software: qualidade de software, 8, Curitiba: CTIS, pp. 181-185.

[3] Departamento de Pesquisas e Desenvolvimento (DEPED), Ministério da Defesa, Comando da Aeronáutica, 2004, "Relatório da investigação do acidente ocorrido com o VLS-1 V03, em 22 de agosto de 2003, em Alcântara, Maranhão", [cited November 06, 2006], Available at: http://www.iae.cta.br/VLS-1_V03_Relatorio_Final.pdf
» http://www.iae.cta.br/VLS-1_V03_Relatorio_Final.pdf

[4] European Space Agency (ESA), 2004, European Cooperation for Space Standardization "ECSS-P-001-B, Glossary of Terms", The Netherlands: ESA.

[5] European Space Agency (ESA), 2009a, European Cooperation for Space Standardization "ECSS-E-ST-40C, Space Engineering - Software", The Netherlands: ESA.

[6] European Space Agency (ESA), 2009b, European Cooperation for Space Standardization "ECSS-Q-ST-80C, Space Product Assurance - Software Product Assurance", The Netherlands: ESA.

[7] Firesmith, D.G., 2003, "Common Concepts Underlying Safety, Security, and Survivability Engineering, Technical Note CMU/SEI-2003- 033", Pittsburgh, USA: Software Engineering Institute/Carnegie Mellon University, 70 p.

[8] Firesmith, D.G., 2006, "Engineering Safety-Related Requirements for Software-Intensive Systems", Proceedings of the 28th International Conference on Software Engineering, ACM SIGSOFT/IEEE, Shangai, China, pp. 1047-1048, 2006.

[9] Fortescue, P., Stark, J. and Swinerd, G., 2003, "Spacecraft systems engineering", 3rd Ed., London: John Wiley & Sons, 678 p.

[10] Instituto de Aeronáutica e Espaço (IAE), 1994, "Plano de Confiabilidade do Software Aplicativo de Bordo (SOAB) para o Veículo Lançador de Satélites VLS PT-01 - Preliminar - (PCS-P)".

[11] Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), 2007, "Mars Exploration Rover Mission - Communications with Earth", [cited May 15, 2009], Available at: http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/mission/communications.html
» http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/mission/communications.html

[12] Kitchenham, B., Pfleeger, S.L., 1996, "Software Quality: the elusive target", IEEE Software, Vol. 13, N° 1, pp.12-21.

[13] Lahoz, C.H.N., 2009, "Elicere: o processo de elicitação de metas de dependabilidade para sistemas computacionais críticos: estudo de caso aplicado a Área Espacial." PhD thesis, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo.

[14] Laplante, P.A., 2004, "Real-Time Systems Design and Analysis". 3rd Ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

[15] Leveson, N.G., 2009, "Engineering a safer world. System safety for the 21st century (or Systems thinking applied to safety)", Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering Systems Division. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, [cited May 13, 2009], Available at: http://sunnyday.mit.edu/book2.pdf
» http://sunnyday.mit.edu/book2.pdf

[16] Leveson, N.G., 1995, "Safeware: system safety and computers". New York: Addison-Wesley.

[17] Leveson, N.G., 2004, "The role of software in spacecraft accidents". AIAA Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 41, N° 4, pp. 564-575.

[18] Lutz, R.R., 1992, "Analyzing software requirements errors in safety-critical, embedded systems. Technical Report 92-27". Ames, Iowa, USA: Department of Computer Science, Iowa State University of Science and Technology.

[19] NASA, 2000, "Software fault tolerance: a tutorial, technical memorandum NASA/TM-2000-210616", Hampton, USA: Langley Research Center.

[20] NASA, 2004a, "Software Safety Guidebook, NASA-GB-8719.13", [cited October 19, 2006], Available at: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codeq/doctree/871913.pdf
» http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codeq/doctree/871913.pdf

[21] NASA, 2004b, "IV&V Lessons Learned - Mars Exploration Rovers and the Spirit SOL-18 Anomaly: NASA IV&V Involvement", [cited May 14, 2009], Available at: http://www.klabs.org/mapld04/presentations/session_s/2_s111_costello_s.ppt
» http://www.klabs.org/mapld04/presentations/session_s/2_s111_costello_s.ppt

[22] NASA, 2005a, "Software Assurance Guidebook, NASA-GB-A201", [cited August 25, 2006], Available at: http://satc.gsfc.nasa.gov/assure/agb.txt
» http://satc.gsfc.nasa.gov/assure/agb.txt

[23] NASA, 2005b, "Software Fault Analysis HandbookSoftware Fault Tree Analysis (SFTA) & Software Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality Analysis (SFMECA)", [cited May 07, 2007], Available at: http://sato.gsfc.nasa.gov/guidebook/assets/SQI_SFA_Handbook_05022005.doc
» http://sato.gsfc.nasa.gov/guidebook/assets/SQI_SFA_Handbook_05022005.doc

[24] Pisacane, V.L., 2005, "Fundamentals of Space Systems", 2nd

[25] Reis Filho, J.V.B., 1995, "Uma abordagem de Qualidade e Confiabilidade para Software Crítico". Masters dissertation, Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica.

[26] Romani, M.A.S., 2007, "Processo de Análise de Requisitos de Dependabilidade para Software Espacial". Masters dissertation, Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica.

[27] Rus, I., Komi-Sirvio, S., Costa, P., 2003, "Software dependability properties: a survey of definitions, measures and techniques. Technical Report 03-110. High Dependability Computing Program (HDCP)" , Maryland: Fraunhofer Center for Experimental Software Engineering.

[28] Sommerville, I. "Software Engineering", 2004, 7th Ed. Glasgow, UK: Addison-Wesley.

[29] Storey, N., 1996, "Safety-Critical Computer Systems". Boston: Addison-Wesley Longman.

[30] UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), 2003, "Reliability and Maintainability (R&M) - Part 7 (ARMP -7), NATO R&M Terminology Applicable to ARMP's, Defence Standard 00-40 Part 7".

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