Module II - Requirements

CSDP Preparation Course
Module II: Software Requirements

Specifications
The exam specific topics covered in this module are listed
below, and are the basis for the outline of its’ content.
A. Requirements Engineering Process
B. Requirements Elicitation
C. Requirements Analysis
D. Software Requirements Specification
E. Requirements Validation
F. Requirements Management
Module II. Software Requirements 2

Objectives
After completing this module, you should be able to…
• To present an overview of software requirements
engineering

Organization
The organization of information for each specification topic is as
follows:
• Topic Content Slides - detail the important issues concerning
each topic and support the module objectives
• Topic Reference Slides - detail the sources for the topical
content and provides additional references for review
• Topic Quiz Slides - allow students to prepare for the exam

Introduction
What is Software?
• software -- Computer programs, procedures, and possibly
associated documentation and data pertaining to the
operation of a computer system. Contrast with hardware.
[IE610]
What is a Requirement?
• requirement -- (1) A condition or capability needed by a user
to solve a problem or achieve an objective. (2) A condition
or capability that must be met or possessed by a system or
system component to satisfy a contract, standard,
specification, or other formally imposed documents. (3) A
documented representation of a condition or capability as in
(1) or (2). [IE610]

Introduction – 2
A Perspective
• These definitions imply concern for the user of the software

as well as the developer.
• Wiegers emphasizes that the term users in such a definition

should be generalized to stakeholders, because not all
stakeholders are users.
• CAUTION: Don’t assume that all your project stakeholders

share a common notion of what requirements are. Establish
definitions up front so that you’re all talking about the same
things. [KW03, p. 8]

Introduction – 3
Major Issues in Software Requirements
• The incorrect and incomplete software requirements
specification
• The truncation of requirements activities over programming
and testing
• The lack of cooperation by customers:
• To verify that the software requirements are correct
• To understood the structure and purpose of the software
requirements specifications
• The problems associated with identifying which tool and/or
methodology to use in developing and representing a
software requirements specification [RT04, p. 4-9]

Introduction – 4
Fundamentals of Requirements
• In order to properly identify a requirement, we may apply the
general property distinctions that the SWEEBOK Guide has
identified [SW04, p. D-3]:
• Product and process requirements
• Functional and non-functional requirements
• Emergent properties
• Quantifiable requirements
• System requirements and software requirements

Introduction – 5
Product and Process Requirements - I
• Product parameter – a requirement on software to be
developed
• Product requirement – Requirements which apply to the

product of services to be developed
• Qualitative parameters – not directly measurable
• Functional – What it does
• External Interfaces – Data or command inputs or
outputs
• Quantitative parameters – directly measurable
• Performance metrics – How fast, how much memory
• Quality metrics – Reliability, maintainability, security
[RT04, p. 4-13]

Introduction – 6
Product and Process Requirements - II
• Process parameter – essentially a constraint on the
development of the software (AKA process requirements)
• Process (Program) requirements – Applies to the activities

associated with enabling the creation of a product or service
• Task – Perform and analyze, develop a product, operate
a system
• Compliance evaluation – Measure compliance with a
product parameter
• Regulatory/Standards – Compliance with laws,
standards, regulations, and rules

Introduction - 7
Functional and Non-functional Requirements
• Functional requirements – describes functions software is to
execute
• Example: formatting text
• Non-functional requirements – ones that act to constrain the

software solution
• Further classes – performance, maintainability, safety,
reliability, and others.

Introduction - 8
Emergent Properties
• Emergent properties – those which cannot be addressed by
a single component, but system component interoperability
• Highly sensitive to the system architecture
• Sommerville provides three examples [IS01, p. 22]:

• Overall weight of the system
• Reliability of the system
• Usability of the system

Introduction – 9
Quantifiable Requirements
• Avoid vague and unverifiable requirements which depend for
their interpretation on subjective judgment
• This is critical for non-functional requirements

Introduction – 10
System Requirements and Software Requirements
• System requirements - are for the system as a whole;
sometimes referred to as user requirements
• Includes hardware, software, firmware, people,
information, techniques, facilities, services, and other
support elements
• Software requirements – derived from system requirements

Introduction – 11
Recognizing the Importance of Software Requirements
Engineering [RT04, p. 4-7]
• Better quality in the software development process and the

software product can be obtained if our methods and tools
for gathering, modeling and analyzing user requirements are
more effective, robust and codified in practice, i.e. an
engineering approach
• Therefore, software requirements engineering (SRE) has

emerged as an “engineering” approach to what used to be
called requirements analysis and specifications

Introduction – 12
Role of Software Requirements in the Lifecycle [RT04, p. 4-17]
• Describes what the user wants or needs done

• Describes the final product, not methods and techniques
for building the software
• Provides the basis for cost, schedule, and other resource
estimates
• Primarily developed during the requirements phase of the

lifecycle
• Can be developed in other phases of the lifecycle

Introduction Quiz
1. Which of the following requirement properties would be
considered an emergent property of a software program?
A. The fault detection system of the software

B. The programming language of the system
C. The reliability of the software
D. The number of lines of code

Introduction Quiz – 2
2. Which of the following would most likely be considered a
product requirement?
A. The software shall be written in Ada.

B. The student name shall be entered before the student grade.
C. The system requirements for the software shall be formatted
according to IEEE Std 1233.
D. The software is built with company standards.

Introduction Quiz – 3
3. Which of the following is most true about a non-functional
requirement?
A. Describes functions software is to execute.

B. Is highly sensitive to the system architecture.
C. Is derived from hardware requirements.
D. Acts to constrain the software solution.

Introduction References
• [IE610] IEEE Std 610.12-1990, Standard Glossary of
Software Engineering Terminology
• [IE1233] IEEE Std 1233-1998, Guide for Developing System
Requirements
• [IS01] Sommerville, Ian, Software Engineering, 6th Edition,
Addison-Wesley, NY, 2001
• [KW03] Weigers, Karl E., Software Requirements, 2nd
Edition, Microsoft Press, Redmond, WA, 2003
• [RT04] Thayer, Richard, 2004 Certified Software
Development Professional (CSDP) Preparation Course,
Chapter 4: Software Requirements Engineering Concepts
• [SW04] SWEBOK – Guide to the Software Engineering Body
of Knowledge: 2004 Version, IEEE Computer Society, Los
Alamitos, CA, Chapter 2 – Software Requirements

A. Requirements Engineering
Process
A Process Defined
• process -- (1) A sequence of steps performed for a given

purpose; for example, the software development process.
(2) An executable unit managed by an operating system
scheduler. (3) To perform operations on data. [IE610]
• Software requirements engineering (SRE) is a process, not a

discrete activity

Process - 2
Software Requirements Engineering Process - I
1. Collect and categorize the various requirements

(requirements elicitation)
a. Identify relevant sources of requirements (usually the
customers)
b. Determine what information is needed (this will change
as the requirements are developed)
c. Collect the requirements from all parties

Process - 3
Software Requirements Engineering Process - II
2. Analyze the gathered information, looking for implications,

inconsistencies, or unresolved issues (analysis)
3. Synthesize appropriate statements of the requirements

(specifications)
4. Confirm your understanding of the requirements with the

users (verification)
5. Plan and control the effort from beginning to end

(management) [RT04, p. 4-20]

Process - 4
SRE Process Activities - I
• Software requirements elicitation – The process through

which the customers (buyers and/or users) and developers
(contractors) of a software system discover, review,
articulate, and understand their requirements
• Software requirements analysis – Reasoning and analyzing

the customers’ and users’ needs to arrive at a definition of
software requirements

Process - 5
SRE Process Activities - II
• Software requirements specification – A document that

clearly and precisely records each of the requirements of the
software system
• Software requirements verification – The assurance that

software requirements specifications are in compliance with
the system requirements, conforms to document standards
of the requirements phase, and is an adequate basis for the
architectural (preliminary) design phase
• Software requirements management - Planning and

controlling the requirements elicitation, analysis, and
verification activities [RT04, p. 4-19]

Process - 6
Process Models
• Provide a basic outline of the requirements process

• Obtaining software requirements is not a discrete front-end
activity
• Initiated at the beginning of the project, and is refined
throughout the life cycle
• Software requirements are configuration items for
management
• The process is adapted to the organization and the project
• Four major activities: elicitation, analysis, specification, and
validation

Process - 7
Process Actors - I
• Those who participate in the process
• The requirements specialist mediates between domain of the

stakeholder and software engineer
• Always include users (or operators) and customers (they

may not be the same)

Process - 8
Process Actors - II
• Typical software stakeholders

• Users – Will operate software
• Customers – Commissioned the software
• Market analyst – Act as proxy customers
• Regulators – Authorities from application domains (EX:
banking,)
• Software engineers – Have a stake in reusing
components in successful products; must weigh their
personal against the stake of the customer
• Must negotiate trade-offs with stakeholders to their

satisfaction, within project constraints
• Stakeholders must be identified before this negotiation to
occur [SW04, p. 2-3]

Process - 9
The Importance of Software Requirements
These People Depend on SW Req. to:

Acquisition management Establish their needs
Project management Determine tasks and schedule
System engineers Req. allocated to SW
Testers Establish what is to be tested
SW engineers Establish top-level design
Configuration control Establish req. baseline
Everyone Guide their effort
- [RT04, p. 4-22]

Process - 10
Process Support and Management
• Linked to the four major process activities: elicitation,

analysis, specification, and validation
• Concerned with issue of cost, human resources, training,

and tools

Process - 11
Process Quality and Improvement
• Concerned with assessment of the process
• Measured by cost, schedule, and customer satisfaction
• Uses:
• Process improvement standards and models
• Requirements process measures and benchmarking
• Improvement planning and implementation

Process - 12
Other Issues in Software Requirements Engineering – I
• Requirements specifications often do not reflect the need

and desires of the users and the customer
• Software requirements specifications are often incomplete

and incorrect
• Users’ knowledge, experience, and cooperation greatly

influence the quality of the specifications
• Developer’s knowledge of the customer domain greatly

influence the quality of the specifications

Process – 13
Other Issues in Software Requirements Engineering – II
• Software requirements are constantly undergoing change
• Requirements sometimes specify the software design (a

design constraint)
• Design is changed without a corresponding change in

requirements [RT04, p. 4-22]

A. References

A. Quiz
1. According to the SWEBOK Guide, what are the four major
activities of the requirements engineering process?
A. Identification, specification, construction, and testing

B. Elicitation, analysis, specification, and validation
C. Analysis, planning, construction, and verification
D. Elicitation, planning, construction, and testing

A. Quiz – 2
2. Which of the following property is least critical to the
interaction between process actors and the requirements
process?
A. Process actor identification

B. The nature of their ‘stake’ in the process
C. The education of the actor
D. The requirements they elicit

A. Quiz – 3
3. The requirements engineering process is:
A. A discrete front-end activity of the software life cycle.

B. Initiated at the beginning of a project and continues to be
refined throughout the lifecycle.
C. A continuous process that ends when requirements are
specified and documented.
D. The same for each organization and process.

A. Quiz – 4
4. Process quality and improvement relies most on which of the
following?
A. Product operator performance

B. Human factors
C. Requirements process measures
D. Customer preferences

A. Quiz – 5
5. Product requirement validation occurs primarily after:
A. Elicitation
B. Analysis
C. Specification
D. Testing

B. Requirements Elicitation
What is Requirements Elicitation?
• Concerned with where software requirements come from

and how the software engineers can collect them.
• Stakeholders are identified and relationships established

between the development team and the customer
• Also known as ‘requirements capture’, ‘requirements

discovery’, and ‘requirements acquisition’ [SW04, p. 2-4]

B. Requirements Elicitation - 2
Major Issues Involving Requirements Elicitation - I
• It is not always clear who your customers or users are.
• Your customers/users cannot always state their requirements

clearly or completely.
• Users don’t know what they want; they only know what they
do.
• What they say they want may not be what they need or you
may begin to define what you think they need, instead of
what they want.

Major Issues Involving Requirements Elicitation - II
• Their concept of the solution may not solve their problem.
• The customers or users will have expectations that may be

unreasonable – or unknown to you.
• Not all of your customers or users talk to or agree with one

another, so you must talk to all of them.
• Your customers or users may change. [RT04, p. 4-25]

Requirements Sources - I
• From the SWEBOK Guide [SW04, p. 2-4]
• Goals –
• Sometimes called ‘business concern’ or ‘critical success
factor’
• Provides motivation for the software, but are often
vaguely formulated
• Focus is to assess the value (relative priority) and cost of
goals
• A feasibility study can do this at low cost
• Domain knowledge -
• The software engineer needs to be knowledgeable of the
application domain
• Allows for assessment of that which is not articulated

Requirements Sources - II
• Stakeholders –
• Also known as Process Actors
• The software engineer needs to identify, represent, and
manage the ‘viewpoints’ of many different types of
stakeholders
• The operational environment –

• The environment that software will be executed in will
reveal system constraints and system element
interoperability
• The organizational environment –

• May impose previously unidentified user processes

Elicitation Techniques - I
• From SWEBOK Guide [SW04, p. 2-4]
• Once requirements sources have been identified, the
software engineer can start eliciting requirements from them.
• Even if sources are cooperative and articulate, the relevant
information must be captured.
Some of these techniques are:
• Interviews –
• A traditional means of eliciting requirements

Elicitation Techniques - II
• Scenarios –
• Provides a context for elicitation of user requirements
• Asks ‘what if’ and ‘how is this done’ questions
• The most common type of scenario is the use case
• Link to Conceptual Modeling because of scenario
notations such as use cases and diagrams are common
in modeling software
• Prototypes –
• Form paper mock-ups of screen designs to beta-test
versions of software products
• Valuable tool for clarifying unclear requirements
• Overlap for use in requirements elicitation and
requirements validation

B. Requirements Elicitation – 8
Elicitation Techniques - III
• Facilitated meetings –
• A group of people may bring more insight to achieve a
summative effect to the requirements
• Conflicting requirements may surface earlier in this
setting
• Beware of stakeholder politics
• Observation –
• Software engineers are immersed in the environment to
observe the user interact between the software and other
users
• Expensive to implement
• Helps reveal process subtleties and complexities

ConOps - An Elicitation Tool - I
• Definition – concept of operations (ConOps) document – A

user oriented document that describes a system’s
operational characteristics from the end user’s viewpoint.
[IE1362, Definition 3.4]
• It describes the user organization(s), mission(s), and

organizational objectives from an integrated systems point of
view.
• Applied to all types of software intensive systems: software-

only or software/hardware/people systems

ConOps - An Elicitation Tool - II
• Describes the user’s general system goals, missions,

function, and components
• Helps bring the users’ views and expectations to the surface
• Provides an outlet for the users’ wishes and wants
• Helps the user feel in control
• May or may not be the responsibility of the acquisition

manager [RT04, p. 4-29]

The ConOps Document Style
• A ConOps document must be written in the user’s language

using the user’s format
• A ConOps document should be written in narrative prose (in

contrast to a technical requirements specification)
• ConOps should make use of visual forms (diagrams,

illustrations, graphs, etc.) and storyboards wherever possible
• ConOps provides a bridge between the user needs and the

developer’s technical requirements documents [RT04, p. 4-
28]

Elements of IEEE 1362 (ConOps) - I
• Clauses describe essential elements

• Provides information the writer wants the reader to know
prior to reading the document
• Title and revision notice:

• Project name
• Version number of the document,
• Date of release,
• Approval signatures,
• A list of sub clauses that have been changed in the
current version of the document

Elements of IEEE 1362 (ConOps) - II
• Scope (Clause 1)
• Identification
• Document overview
• System overview
• Referenced documents (Clause 2)
• Current system or situation (Clause 3)

• Background, objectives, and scope
• Operational policies and constraints
• Description of the current system or situation
• Modes of operation for the current system or situation
• User classes and other involved personnel (Note)

Elements of IEEE 1362 (ConOps) - III
• Justification for and nature of changes (Clause 4)

• Justification for changes
• Description of desired changes
• Priorities among changes
• Changes considered but not included
• Assumptions and constraints
• Concepts for the proposed system (Clause 5)

• Background, objectives and scope
• Operational policies and constraints
• Description of the proposed system
• Modes of operation
• User classes and other involved personnel (Note)

Elements of IEEE 1362 (ConOps) - IV
• Operational scenarios (Clause 6)
• Summary of impacts (Clause 7)

• Operation impacts
• Organizational impacts
• Impacts during development
• Analysis of the proposed system (Clause 8)

• Summary of improvements
• Disadvantages and limitations
• Alternatives and trade-offs considered
• Notes (Clause 9)
• Appendices of the ConOps
• Glossary of the ConOps

B. References
• [IE1362] IEEE Std 1362-1998, Guide for Information
Technology – System Design – Concept of Operations
Document
• [JC04] Cleland-Huang, Jane, “Software Requirements,” in
R.H. Thayer and M. Carstensen, Software Engineering, Vol.
1: The Development Process. IEEE Computer Society
Press, Los Alamitos, CA 2004

B. Quiz
1. As requirements are elicited, what source is most likely to
impose previously unidentified user processes?
A. The organizational environment

B. The operational environment
C. Stakeholders
D. Application domain specialists

B. Quiz – 2
2. What is considered the traditional means or requirements
elicitation?
A. Observations
B. Scenarios
C. Interviews
D. Prototypes

B. Quiz – 3
3. What is the most common type of scenario elicitation
technique?
A. The prototype
B. The use case
C. The facilitator meeting
D. Observation

B. Quiz – 4
4. Which technique overlaps for use in requirements elicitation
and requirements validation?
A. Prototypes
B. Facilitator meetings
C. Interviews
D. Observations

B. Quiz – 5
5. A concept of operations document (ConOps) should not be
written
A. In the user’s language using the user’s format

B. Mostly in narrative prose
C. With visual forms
D. Primarily in the developers technical language

B. Quiz – 6
6. In the IEEE Std 1362 Concept of Operations (ConOps)
Document, which of the following is fundamentally not
included under the Concepts for the Proposed System
(Clause 5)?
A. Proposed design method of system

B. Operational policies and constraints
C. Description of the proposed system
D. Modes of operation

B. Quiz – 7
7. In the IEEE Std 1362 Concept of Operations (ConOps)
Document, which of the following is fundamentally not
included in the document?
A. Current system or situation

B. Proposed design method of system
C. Justification for the nature of the change
D. Operational scenarios

C. Requirements Analysis
Definitions
• software requirements analysis --

• (1) The process of studying user needs to arrive at a
definition of system, hardware, or software requirements.
• (2) The process of studying and refining system, hardware,
or software requirements. [IE610]
• (3) Reasoning and analyzing the customers and users needs
to arrive at a definition of software requirements. [RT02, p.
93]

C. Requirements Analysis – 2
First, Find Requirements Sources
• Systems requirements specifications

• Statements of work (SOW) and procurement specifications
• Customer prepared needs documents
• Concept of operations (ConOps) documents
• Observations and measurements of the current system
• Interviews with the customers and users
• Current system documentation
• Feasibility studies
• Models and prototypes [RT04, p. 4-33]

Software Requirements Analysis - I
• Software requirements analysis: The process of:

• Studying and refining system, hardware, or software
requirements [IE610]
• Determining the feasibility of the requirements
• Detecting and resolving conflicts between requirements
• Discovering the system boundaries and its external
interfaces
• Conducting trade-offs between requirement features
• Producing of the software requirements specification

Software Requirements Analysis - II
• Other activities during the requirement analysis phase:

• Determine the project management plan
• Determine the test plan and test specifications
• Determine draft user’s manual
• Determine the system interfaces [RT04, 4-32]

Distinct Processes of Requirements Analysis
• The SWEBOK has identified several distinct processes that
occur during a successful requirements analysis
• Requirements classification (RC)

– Helps to inform trade-offs
• Conceptual modeling (CM)
– To understand the problem
• Architectural design and requirements allocation (AD & RA)
– What parts will meet requirements
• Requirements negotiation (RN)
– Establishes trade-offs

Requirements Classification - I
Several dimensions:
• Whether it is functional or non-functional
• Whether it is derived from high-level requirement or is

emergent
• Imposed by stakeholder or other source
• Whether it is on the product or the process

Requirements Classification - II
• The requirement priority: The higher, the more essential
• The requirement scope: A global requirement may affect

architecture
• Volatility/stability: Identification for tolerant design
• Others are possible, and some may overlap

RC / Attributes - I
• Each Software Requirement Shall Have:
• Identifier: Every requirement must be assigned a unique

identifier that allows it to be unambiguously referenced.
• Source: The source of the requirement may be (e.g.) a

stakeholder from whom it was elicited or a higher-level
requirement from which it was derived
• Date: When the requirement was formulated

RC / Attributes - II
• Rationale: The rationale explains the purpose of the
requirement. This helps subsequent analysis, particularly if
the requirement is challenged or needs to be reworked at a
later stage.
• Type: This attribute records, for example, whether the

requirement is functional or non-functional; whether it is a
user interface requirement, a safety requirement, etc., or it is
an original requirement or a derived requirement
• Priority: Each requirement need to be prioritized in

relationship to other requirements, e.g., essential,
conditional, optional (IEEE Std 830)

RC / Attributes - III
• Stability: Uncertainty surrounds a requirement should be

recorded so that its likely volatility is made explicit and
appropriate risk containment measures can be taken.
• Verification procedure: This attribute defines how to verify

that the requirement has been satisfied once the software
has been implemented.
• Status: The requirements status records its current position

in the life-cycle of the requirement. [RT04, p. 4-43,44]

RC / Types of Software Requirements – I
• Functional requirements – A requirement that specifies a
function that a system or system component must be
capable of performing
• Performance requirements – A requirement that specifies a

performance characteristic that a system or system
component must posses
• For example, speed, accuracy, or frequency
• External interface requirements – A requirement that

specifies a hardware, software, or database element with
which a system component must interface, or that sets forth
constraints on formats, timing or other factors caused by
such an interface

RC / Types of Software Requirements – II
• Design constraints – A requirement that impacts or
constrains the design of a software system or system
component (sometimes called a negative requirement);
• For example, functional requirements, physical
requirements, performance requirements, software
development standards, software quality assurance
standards
• Quality Attributes – A requirement that specifies the degree

of an attribute that affects the quality the software must
possess;
• For example: correctness, reliability, maintainability, or
portability [RT04, 4-35]

RC / Examples of Design Constraints
• Execution speed – Use maximum of 50% of available cycle
time (also called performance requirement)
• Language – Use Ada
• Maintenance – Meet available requirements of 0.98 (also
called quality attribute)
• Human computer interface – Menus are require for system
interface
• Memory utilization – Use maximum of 75% of available
memory (also called performance requirements)
• Reliability – Meet reliability requirements of 0.99 (also called
quality attributes)
• Security – Meet security requirements of 4 hours to break
into the system (also called quality attributes)

RC / Examples of Quality Requirements
• Reliability – Probability that the software will perform its
logical operation in the specified environment without failure
• Survivability – Probability that the software will continue to
perform or support critical functions when a portion of the
system is inoperable
• Maintainability - Average effort required to locate and fix a
software failure
• User friendliness – The degree of ease of use or learning of
a software system
• Securability – The probability that the software system can
be made secure for a predetermined amount of time

Conceptual Modeling – I
• Their purpose is to aid in understanding the problem, not
begin a design solution
• Types of models include data and control flows, state

models, event traces, and others
• Factors that influence choice of model:

• The nature of the problem
• The expertise of the software engineer
• The process requirements of the customer
• The availability of methods and tools

Conceptual Modeling – II
• Useful to start with building model of the software context

• explains operational environment and identifies interfaces
• UML (Unified Modeling Language) is a widely used set of

notations

CM / Structured Analysis
(Yourdon)
[RT04, p. 4-38]

CM / Real Time Structured
Analysis (Ward & Miller)
[RT04, p. 4-39]

CM / Object-Oriented Analysis
(Object Diagram)
[RT04, p. 4-40]

CM / Use Cases

C. Requirements Analysis - 21
Architectural Design and Requirements Allocation
• Point the requirements process overlaps with software or

system design.
• Allocation is the assigning of responsibility to components for

satisfying requirements.
• Permits detailed analysis of requirements
• Allows requirements to be broken down further
• IEEE Std 1471-2000 is a Recommended Practice for

Architectural Description of Software Intensive Systems

C. Requirements Analysis - 22
Requirements Negotiation
• Also known as ‘conflict resolution’
• Conflicts between stakeholders arise from differences:

• Between incompatible features
• Between requirements and resources
• Between functional and non-functional requirements
• Unwise for software engineer to make unilateral decision

• Consultation leads to consensus trade-off
• Decision traceable back to the customer for contractual
reasons

C. References
• [RT02] Thayer, Richard H., Software Engineering, Volume 1:
The Development Process, 2nd Edition, IEEE Computer
Society, Los Alamitos, CA, 2002
• [RT04] Thayer, Richard H., 2004 Certified Software

C. Quiz
1. Which dimension of requirement classification is critical for
consideration of tolerant design?
A. Whether the requirement is functional or non-functional.

B. Whether the requirement is on the product or process.
C. Whether the requirement is volatile or stable.
D. Whether the requirement is a high or low priority.

C. Quiz – 2
2. What is the most important attribute of a requirement?
A. Identifier
B. Source
C. Verification procedure
D. Priority

C. Quiz – 3
3. Which of the following is not a type of software requirement?
A. Functionality
B. Performance
C. External Interface
D. Complexity

C. Quiz – 4
4. What does allocation try to satisfy in the assigning of
responsibility to components?
A. Requirements
B. Validation
C. External interfaces
D. Testing

C. Quiz – 5
5. What is a software engineer most likely to resolve by making
a unilateral decision?
A. Differences between incompatible features

B. Differences between developer perception and developer
reality
C. Differences between requirements and resources
D. Differences between functional and non-functional
requirements

D. Software Requirements
Specification
Two Descriptions
• software requirements specification (software requirements)

– 1. A document that specifies the requirements for a system
or component. Typically included are functional
requirements, performance requirements, interface
requirements, design requirements, and development
standards. [IE610] 2. A document that clearly and precisely
records each of the requirements of the software system.
[RT02, p. 143]
• In software engineering jargon, ‘software requirements

specification’ typically refers to the production of a document,
or its electronic equivalent, which can be systematically
reviewed, evaluated, and approved. [SW04, p. 2-7]

Specification - 2
Role in Software Development
• Foundation for the software project
• Describes the system to be delivered
• Separates essential, desirable, and optional requirements
• Identifies which items are stable and which might be volatile
• States problems, not solutions
• States “what” not “how” [RT04, p. 4-47]

Specification - 3
In Context with Other Requirement Documents
• The System Definition Document – defines high-level system

requirements
• System Requirements Specification – for system

components
• Software Requirements Specification – for software

components of the system

Specification – 4
The System Definition Document
• Sometimes known as the user requirements document or
concept of operations document
• Records the system requirements
• Defines high level system requirements in language/terms
understood by the system users or customers
• It may include conceptual models, usage scenarios, data,
information, or workflows to illustrate the system concept
[SW04, p. 2-7]
• The IEEE Std 1362 is a guide which describes the elements

of a ConOps document

Specification – 5
IEEE 1362 - The ConOps Document
• The IEEE Std 1362 is a guide which describes the elements

of a ConOps document

Specification – 6
System Requirements Specification (SyRS)
• Software is always an element of a larger system
• EXAMPLES: Airplanes, the Space Shuttle, a cell phone
• Is a systems engineering activity
• System requirements are specified here, not software
requirements
• Software requirements are derived from the system
requirements
• The requirements for the software components of the system
are then specified [SW04, p. 2-7]
• The IEEE Std 1233 is a guide for developing system


Specification – 7
IEEE Std 1233 (SyRS)
• Recommended practice for developing system requirements

specifications

Specification – 8
Software Requirements Specification (SRS) - I
• Establishes understanding of the software product is to do,
as well as what it is not expected to do
• Often accompanied by definition document for clarity
• Written in natural language
• Supplemented by formal or semi-formal description
• This allows for a more precise and concise description of
software architecture
• Permits rigorous assessment of requirements before design

• Provides realistic basis for estimating product costs, risks,
and schedules

Specification – 9
Software Requirements Specification (SRS) - II
• Choice of notation constrained by the documents’ writers
• Training, skills, preferences
• Quality indicators for SRS statements

• Imperatives, directives, weak phrases, opinions, and
continuances
• Quality indicators for entire SRS
• Size, readability, specification, depth, and text structure
• The IEEE Std 830 is a guide for developing software


Specification – 10
IEEE Std 830 (SRS)
• Recommended practice for developing software
requirements specifications (You should read this standard!)
• Lists Considerations for producing a good SRS
• Identifies The Parts of an SRS

Considerations for Producing a Good SRS - I
• Nature of the SRS – The writer(s) shall address the following

issues
• Functionality
• External interfaces
• Performance
• Attributes
• Design constraints imposed on an implementation
• The SRS writer(s) should avoid placing either design or
project requirements in the SRS Environment of the SRS

Specification - 12
Considerations for Producing a Good SRS - II
• Environment of the SRS – The SRS writer(s) plays a specific

role in the software development process
• Should correctly define all of the software requirements.
• Should not describe any design or implementation
details.
• Should not impose additional constraints on the software.
• The SRS limits the range of valid designs, but does not
specify any particular design

Specification - 13
Considerations for Producing a Good SRS - III
• Characteristics of a good SRS (I) – An SRS should be

• Correct – Only if every stated SRS is one the software
shall meet
• Unambiguous – The particular context of the SRS is clear
and there is only one interpretation
• Natural language pitfalls
• Requirements specification languages
• Representation tools
• Complete – Only if it addresses:
• All significant requirements
• Definition of the software response
• Identification of all references
• TBD’s are marked for resolution

Specification - 14
Considerations for Producing a Good SRS - IV
• Characteristics of a good SRS (continued - II)

• Consistent – With higher level documents; types of conflicts
• Specified characteristics of real-world objects
• Logical or temporal conflicts with two specified actions
• Redundancy
• Ranked for importance and/or stability – All of the software
requirements are not equally important
• Degree of stability (expected changes to occur)
• Degree of necessity: Essential, Conditional, or Optional
• Verifiable – a requirement is verifiable if and only if there exists
some finite cost-effective process with which a person or
machine can check that the software product meets the
requirement.
• Non-verifiable - Terms such as “good”, “well”, or “usually”
are impossible to define

Specification - 15
Considerations for Producing a Good SRS - V
• Characteristics of a good SRS (continued – III)

• Modifiable – Requires that the SRS
• Has a coherent and easy-to-use organization
• Not be redundant
• Express each requirement separately (redundancy
can lead to errors)
• Traceable – If the origin of each of its requirements is
clear and it facilitates the referencing of each requirement
in future development or enhancement documentation
• Backward traceability ( i.e., to previous stages of
development)
• Forward traceability (i.e., to all documents spawned
by the SRS)

Specification - 16
Considerations for Producing a Good SRS - VI
• Joint preparation of the SRS – Should begin with supplier

and customer agreement on what completed software must
do.
• Customers usually don’t understand software
development well enough to write a usable SRS
• Software developers usually don’t understand customers
well enough to specify requirements for a satisfactory
system

Specification - 17
Considerations for Producing a Good SRS - VII
• SRS evolution – The SRS may need to evolve, as some

details are impossible to obtain during the project’s initial
phases. To handle this situation
• Specify as completely and thoroughly as possible; note
incompleteness if it is known.
• Utilize a formal change process

Specification - 18
Considerations for Producing a Good SRS - VIII
• Prototyping – Should be used as a way to elicit software

requirements
• More likely for customer to react to view than to reading
• Displays unanticipated aspects of system behavior
• SRS tends to undergo less change during development,
thus shortening development time

Specification - 19
Considerations for Producing a Good SRS - IX
• Embedding design in the SRS – avoid it

• A requirement specifies an externally visible function or
attribute
• A design describes a method to achieve that requirement
• Every requirement in the SRS limits design alternatives
• The SRS should not specify
• Partitioning of software into modules
• Allocating functions to the modules
• Describe the flow of information or control between
modules
• Choose data structures

Considerations for Producing a Good SRS - X
• Embedding project requirements in the SRS – The SRS

should address the software product, not the process of
producing the product.
• These following project requirements are reserved for
other documents:
• Cost, delivery schedule, reporting procedures,
software development methods, quality assurance,
verification and validation, or acceptance procedures

Specification - 21
IEEE 830 - The Parts of an SRS - I
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1. Purpose
2. Scope
3. Definitions, Acronyms, and Abbreviations
4. References
5. Overview
2. Overall Description
1. Product Perspective
2. Product Functions
3. User Characteristics
4. Constraints
5. Assumptions and Dependencies
3. Specific Requirements
Appendices
Index

IEEE 830 - The Parts of an SRS - II
Functional Hierarchy [RT04, p. 4-51]
3. Specific requirements
1. External Interfaces
2. Functional requirements
1. Function 1
1. Introduction
2. Input
3. Process
4. Output
2. Function 2
3. …
4. Function n
3. Performance requirements
4. Design constraints
5. Quality attributes

Specification - 23
Writing a Requirement
• Suggested Method [RT04, p. 4-53]
• Requirement should be written as a single sentence, with a
minimum number of conjunctions, and using modal verbs
consistently i.e. shall, will, can, may. Example:
• Arm011: On completion of the arming sequence, there
shall be a time delay equal to the escape period before
the alarm enters the armed state
• This statement of requirements requires that the terms
arming sequence, escape period, and armed state be
defined in a glossary
• Use model verbs, e.g., use shall to indicate an essential
requirement
• Arm011 is the requirement’s unique identifier

D. References
• [IE830] IEEE Std 830-1998, Recommended Practice for
Software Requirements Specification
• [IE1233] IEEE Std 1233-1998, Guide for Developing System
Requirements
• [IE1362] IEEE Std 1362-1998, Guide for Information
Technology – System Design – Concept of Operations
Document

D. References – 2

D. Quiz
1. Which document is used to derive the software requirements
specification?
A. The System Definition Document

B. System Requirements Specification
C. IEEE 1362 Concept of Operations
D. IEEE 1016 Software Design Descriptions

D. Quiz – 2
2. What should the software requirements specification (SRS)
writer avoid placing in the SRS environment of the SRS?
A. External interfaces
B. Performance or functionality
C. Attributes or classification
D. Either design or project requirements

D. Quiz – 3
3. Which of the following is not embedded design that would be
written in the SRS?
A. Partitioning of software into modules

B. Specify logical requirements for the software
C. Describe the flow of information or control between modules
D. Choose data structures

D. Quiz – 4
4. Which of the following phrases most closely approaches
verifiable language?
A. “A good operability”
B. “Well enough”
C. “According to Standard X”
D. “Usually acceptable”

D. Quiz – 5
5. Which of the following is not a good characteristic well written
of a software requirements specification?
A. Consistent
B. Ranked
C. Redundant
D. Verifiable

E. Requirements Validation
Defined
• Validation – 1. The process of evaluating a system or

component during or at the end of the development process
to determine whether it satisfies specified requirements.
Contrast with verification. [IE610] 2. The process is a
process for determining whether the requirements and the
final, as-built system or software product fulfills its specific
intended use [IEEE/EIA Std 12207.2, Para 6.5]
• Validation (error = external customer requirements - product)
• Verification (error = internal specified requirements - product)

E. Requirements Validation – 2
Objectives of Verification and Validation
• To find errors in the software process and product as early
as feasible
• To assist in determining good requirements and design
• To ensure that quality is built into the software and that the
software will satisfy the software requirements
• To provide software management with insights into the state
of the software project and product
• To satisfy users that the system is being developed
according to standards and specifications
• To predict how well the interim products will result in a final
product that will satisfy the software requirements [RT04, p.
4-58]

Requirements Validation - I
• Requirements documents may be subject to validation and
verification procedures
• Formal notation permits

• Software requirements validated to ensure that software
engineer has understood the requirements
• Verify that a requirements document conforms to
• company standards
• that it is understandable, consistent, and complete

Requirements Validation - II
• Different stakeholders should be able to review requirements
documents
• Requirements documents subject to software configuration

management as are other deliverables of software lifecycle
processes
• Multiple points of validation in requirements process

schedule
• Pick up problems before resources are committed
• Helps ensure requirements document defines the right
software [SW04, p. 2-8]

Subjects of Requirements Validation
• The SWEBOK has identified several knowledge areas of

importance for the study of software requirements validation:
• Requirements reviews
• Prototyping
• Model validation
• Acceptance Testing

RV / Requirements Reviews – I
• reviews -- A process or meeting during which a work product,

or set of work products, is presented to project personnel,
managers, users, customers, or other interested parties for
comment or approval. Types include code reviews, design
reviews, formal qualification reviews, and requirements
reviews, test readiness reviews. [IE610]

RV / Requirements Reviews – II
• Validation often done by inspection or reviews of

requirements documents
• Reviewers look for errors, mistaken assumptions, lack of

clarity, and deviation from standard practice
• Composition of reviewer group should include important

stakeholders (customer for customer-driven project)
• Checklists are helpful

RV / Requirements Reviews – III
• Can be done after completion of

• systems definition document
• systems specification document
• software requirements specification document
• the baseline specification for new release
• any other steps in the process
• IEEE Std 1028 provides guidance for reviews

RV / Prototyping – I
• A means of validating the software engineer’s interpretation
of the software requirements
• Also for eliciting new requirements
• Many different techniques
• Many different points in the process where prototype

validation is appropriate

RV / Prototyping – II
• Makes it easier to interpret the software engineer’

assumptions
• And give feedback when wrong
• Danger is distraction of resources from core functionality

towards cosmetic issues
• Some suggestion prototypes that avoid software, such as
flip-chart based mockups

RV / Model Validation
• Validating the quality of models developed during analysis

• Example: In object models, perform static analysis to
verify the communication paths exist between objects
which exchange data
• If formal specification notation used, use formal reasoning to

prove specification properties
• Validation (error = external customer requirements - product)

• Verification (error = internal specified requirements - product)

RV / Acceptance Tests
• Essential property of software requirement is that it should

be possible to verify that finished product satisfies it
• Requirements which cannot be validated are ‘wishes’
• Must plan how to verify each requirement
• Validation requires quantitative expression
• Non-functional requirements difficult to validate

Levels of Testing Versus Types of Errors Found
Levels of Test Types of Errors Found

Unit Coding
Integration Design
System Requirements (Developer’s Interpretation)
Acceptance Requirements (User’s Interpretation)
• “Errors made first are discovered last” [RT04, p. 4-56]

E. References
• [IE830] IEEE Std 830-1998, Recommended Practice for
Software Requirements Specification
• [IE1028] IEEE Std 1028-1997, Standard for Software
Reviews
• [IE12207.2] IEEE/EIA Std 12207.2 Standard for Information
Technology, Software Life Cycle Processes –
Implementation Considerations

E. Quiz
1. Software requirements validation should be viewed by whom
and how often?
A. Requirements analysts, often

B. Stakeholders, often
C. Customers, never
D. Users, never

E. Quiz – 2
2. Requirements reviews:
Can not be done before completion of the

A. Systems definition document
B. Systems specification document
C. Software requirements specification document
D. Baseline specification for new release

F. Requirements Management
Defined
• software requirements management -- In system/software

system engineering, the process of controlling the
identification, allocation, and flowdown of requirements from
the system level to the module or part level, including
interfaces, verification, modifications, and status monitoring.
[Thayer & Thayer Software Requirements 1997]

F. Requirements Management –
2
Observations
• The requirements process suggests a linear sequence (from
elicitation through validation)
• A strict linear logic breaks down for complex system
development
• Not every organization has a culture of documenting and
managing requirements
• As products evolve:
• Need for feature changes demands review of original
requirements
• Need to asses the impact of proposed changes
• Requirements documentation and change management key
to successful requirements process [SW04, p. 2-9]

3
Two Type of Management
Both of these Approaches Manage the Requirements
• Project management
• Planning the project
• Organizing the project
• Staffing the project
• Directing the project
• Controlling the project
• Technical management
• Problem definition
• Solution analysis
• Process planning
• Process control
• Product evaluation [RT04, p. 4-60]

4
Duties of the Software Project Manager - I
• The project manager is responsible for:

• Estimating the cost of the system based on the
requirements
• Re-estimating the cost and schedule of the project when
the requirements change

5
Duties of the Software Project Manager – II
• The technical manager is responsible for:

• Determining the adequacy of the requirements
specifications
• Managing the requirements configuration of the system
• Controlling the volatility of the requirements and manage
change history
• Perform requirements traceability
• Negotiating requirements changes between the acquirer
(customer) and the developer
• The chief system engineer is frequently the technical

manager [RT04, p. 4-61]

6
Key Requirements Tasks of the Project Manager
• Change control – Change control is the process of inhibiting

unapproved changes to the software system
• Version control – Version control is the process of insuring
the various versions of the software system is indeed that
version
• Requirements tracing – Requirements tracing is the process
of assuring that every requirement can be connected
downward to the design module that implements it and
upward to the system requirements that initiated it
• Status tracking – A system for maintaining information on the
processing and implementation of the requirements [RT04,
p. 4-62]

7
Subjects of Requirements Management
• The SWEBOK has identified several knowledge areas of

importance for the study of software requirements
management:
• Iterative nature of the Requirements Process
• Change Management
• Requirements Attributes
• Requirements Tracing

8
RM / Iterative Nature of Requirements Process - I
• Shorter development cycles, especially in competitive

industries
• Often project is upgrade or revision of existing software
• Often requirements are never perfectly understood or

perfectly verified
• Understanding that requirements continue to evolve as
development proceeds

F. Requirements Ma1nagement
–9
RM / Iterative Nature of Requirements Process - II
• Risk of rework spans the whole software life cycle
• Change has to be managed through review and approval
process
• Requirements tracing
• Impact analysis
• Software configuration management
• Configuration management (CM) -- In system/software
engineering, a discipline applying technical and
administrative direction and surveillance to: identify and
document the functional and physical characteristics of a
configuration item, control changes to those characteristics,
record and report change processing and implementation
status, and verify compliance with specified requirements.
[IE610]

10
RM / Change Management
• Procedures need to be in place and applied to proposed

changes

11
RM / Requirements Attributes
• Requirements are not just composed of a specification, they
should also include:
• Additional information to manage and interpret
requirements
• The various classification dimensions of the requirement
• Verification method or acceptance test plan
• May also include additional information

• Summary rational of each requirement
• Source of each requirement and change history
• Most important requirement attribute:

• A unique and unambiguous identifier

12
RM / Requirements Tracing
• Concerned with:
• Recovering the source of requirements
• From software requirement back to system
requirement it supports
• Predicting the effects of requirements
• From system requirement into software requirement
and code modules that satisfy it
• Requirements tracing for a typical project form a complex

directed acyclic graph (DAG) of requirements

13
RM / Measuring Requirements
• Concept of ‘volume’ of requirements for particular software

product
• Useful in evaluating ‘size’ of change in requirements
• Useful in estimating cost of development or maintenance

task
• A denominator in other measurements
• Technique: Functional Size Measurement (FSM)

14
Graphic, next slide: The Relative Cost to Correct A Software
Requirements Error [RT02, p. 155]

15

F. References
• [Thayer & Thayer Software Requirements 1997] Reference
unknown

F. Quiz
1. Which of the following is the technical manager not
responsible for?
A. Determining the adequacy of the requirements

specifications.
B. Controlling the volatility of the requirements and manage
change history.
C. Re-estimating the cost and schedule of the project when the
requirements change.
D. Negotiating requirements changes between the acquirer
(customer) and the developer.

F. Quiz – 2
2. Due to the iterative nature of the requirements process,
change has to be managed through the review and approval
process. Which of the following is likely to require the least
amount of management?
A. Requirements tracing
B. Impact analysis
C. Software configuration management
D. System definition

F. Quiz – 3
3. Requirements tracing is most likely concerned with the
following:
Recovering the source of requirements from:

A. Software requirement back to the system requirement it
supports
B. Observation to elicitation technique
C. Analysis into requirements specification document
D. Software requirement to validation test

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CSDP Preparation Course

Module II: Software Requirements

Module II. Software Requirements 2

Module II. Software Requirements 3

Module II. Software Requirements 4

Module II. Software Requirements 5

• These definitions imply concern for the user of the software

• Wiegers emphasizes that the term users in such a definition

• CAUTION: Don’t assume that all your project stakeholders

Module II. Software Requirements 6

Module II. Software Requirements 7

Module II. Software Requirements 8

• Product requirement – Requirements which apply to the

Module II. Software Requirements 9

• Process (Program) requirements – Applies to the activities

Module II. Software Requirements 10

• Non-functional requirements – ones that act to constrain the

Module II. Software Requirements 11

• Sommerville provides three examples [IS01, p. 22]:

Module II. Software Requirements 12

• This is critical for non-functional requirements

Module II. Software Requirements 13

• Software requirements – derived from system requirements

Module II. Software Requirements 14

• Better quality in the software development process and the

• Therefore, software requirements engineering (SRE) has

Module II. Software Requirements 15

• Describes what the user wants or needs done

• Primarily developed during the requirements phase of the

• Can be developed in other phases of the lifecycle

Module II. Software Requirements 16

A. The fault detection system of the software

Module II. Software Requirements 17

A. The software shall be written in Ada.

Module II. Software Requirements 18

A. Describes functions software is to execute.

Module II. Software Requirements 19

Module II. Software Requirements 20

• process -- (1) A sequence of steps performed for a given

• Software requirements engineering (SRE) is a process, not a

Module II. Software Requirements 21

1. Collect and categorize the various requirements

Module II. Software Requirements 22

2. Analyze the gathered information, looking for implications,

3. Synthesize appropriate statements of the requirements

4. Confirm your understanding of the requirements with the

5. Plan and control the effort from beginning to end

Module II. Software Requirements 23

• Software requirements elicitation – The process through

• Software requirements analysis – Reasoning and analyzing

Module II. Software Requirements 24

• Software requirements specification – A document that

• Software requirements verification – The assurance that

• Software requirements management - Planning and

Module II. Software Requirements 25

• Provide a basic outline of the requirements process

Module II. Software Requirements 26

• Those who participate in the process

• The requirements specialist mediates between domain of the

• Always include users (or operators) and customers (they

Module II. Software Requirements 27

• Typical software stakeholders

• Must negotiate trade-offs with stakeholders to their

Module II. Software Requirements 28