Safety arguments for use with data-driven safety systems

摘要

Well-managed data is fundamental to the dependability and operational integrity of a system. Many systems are not only reliant on data, but also the integrity of data. Therefore data should be addressed as part of the system safety case in common with other elements of the system. The system safety argument(s) should address the use of data and the influence of data errors on the system behaviour. However responsibility for data and its associated data integrity is often poorly defined. This lack of clarity allows vendors to abdicate responsibility for data, and its integrity to the client. This paper discusses arguments that might be used to justify the use of data within safety systems.