Showing papers on "Software technical review published in 1991"
01 May 1991
TL;DR: A survey conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) found that the majority of the technical staff estimating software costs use informal analogy and high-level partitioning of requirements, and that no formal procedure exists for incorporating risk and uncertainty.
Abstract: The authors describe a survey conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to estimate software costs for software intensive projects in JPL's technical divisions. Respondents to the survey described what techniques they use in estimating software costs and, in an experiment, each respondent estimated the size and cost of a specific piece of software described in a design document provided by the authors. It was found that the majority of the technical staff estimating software costs use informal analogy and high-level partitioning of requirements, and that no formal procedure exists for incorporating risk and uncertainty. The technical staff is significantly better at estimating effort than size. However, in both cases the variances are so large that there is a 30% probability that any one estimate can be more than 50% off. >
92 citations
42 citations
TL;DR: The authors discuss some important findings concerning software security procedures and policies to reduce legal responsibilities for copyright infringements by faculty, staff and students and some recommendations for creating and sustaining an environment where conditions contributing to software piracy and security issues are minimized.
Abstract: Many business schools have become heavily dependent on microcomputers for educational purposes. That exposes them to a new type of ethical issue---the ramifications involved with unauthorized software copying by faculty, staff, and students. This article presents the results of a field survey on software piracy and software security in 241 member schools of the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The authors discuss some important findings concerning software security procedures and policies to reduce legal responsibilities for copyright infringements by faculty, staff and students. The article concludes with some recommendations for creating and sustaining an environment where conditions contributing to software piracy and security issues are minimized.
32 citations
12 citations
01 May 1991
TL;DR: The author comments on the relationship between software safety and ethics, informed consent and ethical decisions, the customer's responsibility for end-product quality, internal performance standards and customer consent to inferior work, and techniques for addressing ethical issues.
Abstract: The author discusses ethical considerations that arise in the practice of software engineering and uses cases to help focus the discussion on ethical concerns in the practice of software engineering. The author comments on the relationship between software safety and ethics, informed consent and ethical decisions, the customer's responsibility for end-product quality, internal performance standards and customer consent to inferior work, and techniques for addressing ethical issues. >
6 citations
20 May 1991
TL;DR: This paper describes several standards that deal with aspects of software safety that are defined and specific standards are contrasted using these attributes.
Abstract: This paper describes several standards that deal with aspects of software safety. Four descriptive attributes common to such standards are defined and specific standards are contrasted using these attributes. >
5 citations
Book•
01 Jan 1991
TL;DR: The decision-aiding software is a microcomputer program for decision-making that applies to diverse fields: public policy problems law problems all fields of knowledge.
Abstract: Part 1 An overview of the decision-aiding software: a microcomputer program for decision-making. Part 2 Skills the software enhances: choosing among alternatives allocating scarce resources explaining and predicting behaviour teaching. Part 3 Obstacles the software helps overcomes: multiple dimensions on multiple goals multiple missing information multiple and possibly conflicting constraints the need for simplicity in spite of all that multiplicity. Part 4 Applications to diverse fields: public policy problems law problems all fields of knowledge. Part 5 Supplementary materials: the menu trade for the decision-aiding software testimonials for the software.
5 citations
01 Jan 1991
TL;DR: Empirical results indicate that the model can be used by software managers and software developers to predict the finish behavior of a project for any life-cycle phase, and could aid in analyzing risks associated with not meeting planned project deadlines.
Abstract: This report is based on the M.S. thesis written by Dana S. Borger under the direction of Mladen A. Vouk (NCSU, Dept. of Computer Science, May 1991). The report describes an approach to modeling large software project behavior. The model assumes a phased software development process which is driven by milestone dates. The process is applied to overlapping projects that correspond to the releases of a single software product. Enhancements are implemented in the product as a large number of software components developed in parallel. A certain number of the components must complete each process phase for the product release to attain that phase milestone. The model incorporates Parkinson's Law and the Deadline Effect. The product component lifecycle phase durations are treated as stochastic variables. The durations are related to the time available to a planned milestone date using a regression function. A linear regression model is used to demonstrate the model's adequacy in an observed development environment. The model is evaluated using both empirical project data and simulations. Simulations also serve as a means of investigating non-analytical effects, such as schedule slippages. Empirical results indicate that the model ,-,m be used by software managers and software developers to predict the finish behavior of a project for any life-cycle phase. Such predictions could aid in analyzing risks associated with not meeting planned project deadlines. The model is expandable and programmable, helping to ensure that the model paradigms will be investigated further, and can be adapted and instituted in different environments. CCSP-lR-91/19/Modeling Behaviorof Large SoftwareProjects/NCSU.CSC/DSB.MAV11une-1991 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES ·.. · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·· · . · · · · · · · · · iii LIST OF FIGURES iv LIST OF SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIAnONS ·· · · · · · · .. · · · · · VI 1 INTRODUcnON ·.. · · .. · .. · · · · · . · · · · · · 1 1.1 Goals of this Study · ············· 3 1.2 Model Motivation · ·. · · · · · ·· · · · · . · . · · · · . 5 1.3 Review of Past Work · · . · .· · · . · · · · · · .· · 9 1.3.1 Software Schedule Estimation Mooels · · .. · 9 1.3.2 Parkinson's Law and the Deadline Effect.................................... 11 1.4 Scope of this Study 14 1.5 Overview of the Study.................................................. 15 2 MODaDEvaGPMENT 17 2.1 Model Definitions and Assumptions................................................. 17 DEF'IN'fTIONS .............•......................................................... 17 ASSUM¥fIONS .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . •. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 2.2 DetailedDescriptionof the DevelopmentEnvironment. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 22 DESCRIPTION OF THE LIFE-CYCLE PHASES 24 2.3 The Single-Variable Model.................................................. 27 2.3.1 Model Notation and Definitions............................................... 27 2.3.2 Calculating the Distribution of Finish Times................................ ~. 2.3.3 The Expected Values of Durations and Finish Times....................... ' 2.3.4 Applying Least Squares Linear Regression............. -: THE SLOPE OF THE REGRESSION LINE . 2.3.5 Estimating the Variances of Duration and Finish Times . 2.4 The Effect of Schedule Changes . 3 MODEL EVALUATION . 3.1 Model Performanceon SimulatedData . 3.1.1 A Simulation with No Schedule Changes.................................... ' 3.1.2 Simulating Effects of a Schedule Change.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 44 3.2 Using the Model to Describe Historical Data 48 3.2.1 Discussion of the Historical Data. . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 48 3.2.2 Linear Regression Analysis. 50 ANALYSIS OF THE PARAMETER ESTIMATES.................................. 53 NEW PROGRAMS . . . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 CARRY-OVER PROGRAMS. 55 TESTING THE REGRESSION ASSUMPTIONS... . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 55 3.2.3 Another Data Partitioning Scheme. . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 DISCUSSION OF THE TwO MODELS 64 4 CONCLUSION · · .. . . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 66 4.1 Summa.ry · · · · . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 4.2 Recommendations for Future Research 68 5 REFERENCES 71 APPENDIX I: CONFIDENCE INTERVALS FOR LSQ m............................... 73
3 citations
01 Sep 1991
TL;DR: “Software Re-usability” is an objective, rather than a field, and emerged as an issue within software engineering, not because of its appeal as a scientific issue per se, but driven by the expected gain in software development productivity.
Abstract: “Software Re-usability” is an objective, rather than a field. It emerged as an issue within software engineering, not because of its appeal as a scientific issue per se, but driven by the expected gain in software development productivity.