Computer Systems Division Software System Metrics Approach, Revision 1

摘要

Over the decades, the increasing use of software has enabled construction anddeployment of ever more capable space systems for SMC. However, managing, controlling, and participating in software development for such software-intensive systems is a difficult and error-prone task that is exacerbated by the lack of meaningful data on key products and processes. Such data should provide visibility into the health and status of the evolving software system, assist in early identification of current and potential problem areas, and aid in predicting such software system characteristics as reliability, maintainability, cost, and schedule. Until recently, comprehensive data collection and analysis methods which treat software as an integral part of a larger system have not been available. This report introduces a software system metrics approach that has been developed for this purpose. The report discusses the utility of the approach, key concepts for applying metrics to software-intensive systems, and basic metrics planning guidelines. It also introduces a set of recommended metrics that cover both the system and the software throughout the life cycle. A complete description of the approach, associated contractual guidelines, and detailed descriptions of several metrics are contained in Aerospace TOR-96(8617)-1, Metrics for Software-Intensive Mission Critical Computer Resource (MCCR) Systems.