Incremental software test approach for DOD-STD 216ta Ada projects

Abstract

One of the key challenges for large Ada software projects is to define and execute an efficient, cost effective, bounded test program that results in a quality product that meets all customer software requirements. This is particularly challenging in the current climate of Government fixed price contracts. The Command Center Processing and Display System Replacement (CCPDS-R) project is being developed entirely in Ada by TRW for the U.S. Air Force on a fixed price basis. To mitigate downstream test risks, TRW has defined an incremental test approach that satisfies TRW and Government objectives for informal development/integration testing and for formal requirements verification. Features of Ada are employed to create a software architecture that supports an incremental test philosophy and contributes to reduced integration effort and risk. The resulting test approach conforms to DOD-STD-2167A standards.