From 1ae5e889fbf6e5e134402ab9fbdf5878dd9731e8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Joel Sherrill Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2018 10:39:04 -0600 Subject: Initial start of converting the Word outline to Rest Thanks to Scott Zemerick for the analysis and ideas that led to this. --- eng/prequalification.rst | 80 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 80 insertions(+) create mode 100644 eng/prequalification.rst (limited to 'eng/prequalification.rst') diff --git a/eng/prequalification.rst b/eng/prequalification.rst new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4055f70 --- /dev/null +++ b/eng/prequalification.rst @@ -0,0 +1,80 @@ +.. comment SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-SA-4.0 + +.. COMMENT: COPYRIGHT (c) 1988-2008. +.. COMMENT: On-Line Applications Research Corporation (OAR). +.. COMMENT: COPYRIGHT (c) 2016-2018. +.. COMMENT: RTEMS Foundation, The RTEMS Documentation Project + +Introduction to Pre-Qualification +********************************* + +RTEMS has a long history of being used to support critical +applications. In some of these application domains, there are standards +(e.g., DO-178C, NPR 7150.2) which define the expectations for the +processes used to develop software and the associated artifacts. These +standards typically do not specify software functionality but address +topics like requirements definition, traceability, having a documented +change process, coding style, testing requirements, and a user’s +manual. During system test, these standards call for a review – usually +by an independent entity – that the standard has been adhered too. These +reviews cover a broad variety of topics and activities, but the process +is generally referred to as qualification, verification, or auditing +against the specific standard in use. The RTEMS Project will use the +term “qualification” independent of the standard. + +The goal of the RTEMS Qualification Project is to make RTEMS easier +to review regardless of the standard chosen. Quite specifically, +the RTEMS Qualification effort will NOT produce a directly qualified +product or artifacts in the format dictated by a specific organization +or standard. The goal is to make RTEMS itself, documentation, testing +infrastructure, etc. more closely align with the information requirements +of these high integrity qualification standards. In addition to improving +the items that a mature, high quality open source project will have, +there are additional artifacts needed for a qualification effort that +no known open source project possesses. Specifically, requirements and +the associated traceability to source code, tests, and documentation +are needed. + +The RTEMS Qualification Project is technically +“pre-qualification”. True qualification must be performed on the +project’s target hardware in a system context. The FAA has provided +guidance for Reusable Software Components (FAA-AC20-148) and this +effort should follow that guidance. The open RTEMS Project, with the +assistance of domain experts, will possess and maintain the master +technical information needed in a qualification effort. Consultants +will provide the services required to tailor the master information, +perform testing on specific system hardware, and to guide end users in +using the master technical data in the context of a particular standard. + +The RTEMS Qualification Project will broadly address two areas. The +first area is suggesting areas of improvement for automated project +infrastructure and the master technical data that has traditionally been +provided by the RTEMS Project. For example, the RTEMS Qualification could +suggest specific improvements to code coverage reports. The teams focused +on qualification should be able to provide resources for improving the +automated project infrastructure and master technical data for RTEMS. The +term “resources” is often used by open source projects to refer to +volunteer code contributions or funding. Although code contributions in +this area are important and always welcome, funding is also important. At +a minimum, ongoing funding is needed for maintenance and upgrades of +the RTEMS Project server infrastructure, addition of services to those +servers, and core contributors to review submissions + +The second area is the creation and maintenance of master technical +data that has traditionally not been owned or maintained by the RTEMS +Project. The most obvious example of this is a requirements set with +proper infrastructure for tracing requirements through code to test +and documentation. It is expected that these will be maintained by the +RTEMS Qualification Project. They will be evaluated for adoption by +the main RTEMS Project but the additional maintenance burden imposed +will be a strong factor in this consideration. It behooves the RTEMS +Qualification Project to limit dependence on manual checks and ensure +that automation and ongoing support for that automation is contributed +to the RTEMS Project. + +It is expected that the RTEMS Qualification Project will create and +maintain maps from the RTEMS master technical data to the various +qualification standards. It will maintain “scorecards” which +identify how the RTEMS Project is currently doing when reviewed per each +standard. These will be maintained in the open as community resources +which will guide the community in improving its infrastructure. -- cgit v1.2.3