Subject Area Exam Quality Management

1. What are three dimensions of software quality?

Answer (Section 14.2):
An effective software rocess esta!lishes the infrastructure that suorts any effort at
!uildin" a hi"h quality software roduct.
A useful roduct delivers the content# functions# and features that the end$user desires#
!ut as imortant# it delivers these assets in a relia!le# error free way.
%y addin" value for !oth the roducer and user of a software roduct# hi"h quality
software rovides !enefits for the software or"ani&ation and the end$user community.
2. 'escri!e the costs associated with software quality wor(?
Answer (Section 14.).2):
Prevention costs $ quality lannin"# formal technical reviews# test equiment# trainin"
Appraisal costs $ in$rocess and inter$rocess insection# equiment cali!ration and
maintenance# testin"
Internal failure costs $ rewor(# reair# failure mode analysis
External failure costs $ comlaint resolution# roduct return and relacement# hel line
suort# warranty wor(
). What ractices should software en"ineers follow to enhance the quality of software
roduced !y their team?
Answer (Section 14.4):
Software quality is the result of "ood ro*ect mana"ement and solid en"ineerin" ractice
+o !uild hi"h quality software you must understand the ro!lem to !e solved and !e
caa!le of creatin" a quality desi"n the conforms to the ro!lem requirements
,liminatin" architectural flaws durin" desi"n can imrove quality
4. What are the "oals for any roduct review?
Answer (Section 1-.1):
.oint out needed imrovements in the roduct of a sin"le erson or team
/onfirm those arts of a roduct in which imrovement is either not desired or not
needed
Achieve technical wor( of more uniform# or at least more redicta!le# quality than can !e
achieved without reviews# in order to ma(e technical wor( more mana"ea!le
-. What effect do software reviews have on software roduction costs?
Answer (Section 1-.-):
0ndustry studies su""est that desi"n activities introduce -1$2-3 of all defects or errors
durin" the software rocess
4eview techniques have !een shown to !e u to 5-3 effective in uncoverin" desi"n
flaws which ultimately reduces the cost of su!sequent activities in the software rocess
2. What are the differences !etween a review summary reort and a review issues list?
Answer (Section 1-.2.2):
Review Summary Report
What was reviewed?
Who reviewed it?
What were the findin"s and conclusions?
Review Issues List
0dentifies ro!lem areas within roduct
Serves as action list to "uide the wor( roduct creator as corrections are made !efore it
occurs or the raid detection of a quality ro!lem if one is introduced.
5. 6ist the tas(s erformed !y the S7A "rou.
Answer (Section 12.1):
.reare S7A lan for the ro*ect.
.articiate in the develoment of the ro*ect8s software rocess descrition.
4eview software en"ineerin" activities to verify comliance with the defined software
rocess.
Audit desi"nated software wor( roducts to verify comliance with those defined as art
of the software rocess.
,nsure that any deviations in software or wor( roducts are documented and handled
accordin" to a documented rocedure.
4ecord any evidence of noncomliance and reorts them to mana"ement
9. What are the "oals for the ro*ect S7A activities?
Answer (Section 12.).2):
4equirements quality
'esi"n quality
/ode quality
7uality control effectiveness
:. What is meant !y the term software relia!ility?
Answer (Section 12.2.1):
Software relia!ility is the ro!a!ility of error free oeration of a comuter ro"ram in a
secified environment for a secified time eriod.
11. 6ist the ) !road cate"ories of information that ma(e u the software confi"uration.
Answer (Section 22.1):
/omuter ro"rams (source code and e;ecuta!les)# documentation (technical and user)#
data (internal and e;ternal to ro"rams)
11. What is a software confi"uration audit?
Answer (Section 22.).1):
<nce a chan"e has !een made to a software confi"uration item and an =+4 has !een
conducted# the software quality team conducts its own review to ensure that software
rocess and standards have !een followed (includin" udatin" all affected documents and
any other affected software confi"uration items).
12. What is content mana"ement?
Answer (Section 22.4.)):
/ontent mana"ement esta!lishes a rocess that acquires e;istin" content#
structures it to !e resented to an end$user# and rovides for dislay# to the client$
side environment.
1). 6ist three characteristics of a "ood software metric.
Answer (Section 2).1.-):
Simle and comuta!le# emirically and intuitively ersuasive# consistent use of units and
dimensions# ro"rammin" lan"ua"e indeendent# rovides effective mechanism for quality
feed!ac(.
14. /omonent$level desi"n metrics focus on what three internal characteristics of software
comonents?
Answer (Section 2).).2):
>odule cohesion# coulin"# and comle;ity
1-. +echnical testin" metrics fall into two ma*or cate"ories. What are they?
Answer (Section 2).2):
>etrics that focus on test covera"e and metrics that focus on the duration of the testin"
rocess.