An increasing number of systems now use standardised hardware and software that is customised for a particular application using data. These data-driven systems offer flexibility and speed of implementation, but are dependent on the correctness of their data to ensure safe operation. Despite the obvious importance of the data within such systems, there is much evidence to suggest that this does not receive the same attention as other system elements. In many cases the data is developed quite separately from the remainder of the system, and may not benefit from the same level of hazard analysis, verification and validation. This paper considers the use of data in data-driven safety-related systems and suggests that in such systems it is appropriate to consider data as a distinct and separate component with its own development lifecycle. The paper then considers the architectural design of data-driven systems and the problems of validating such systems.
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