Suitability of Requirements Abstraction Model (RAM) Requirements for High-Level System Testing
The Requirements Abstraction Model (RAM) helps in managing abstraction in requirements by organizing them at four levels (product, feature, function and component). The RAM is adaptable and can be tailored to meet the needs of the various organizations. Because software requirements are an important source of information for developing high-level tests, organizations willing to adopt the RAM model need to know the suitability of the RAM requirements for developing high-level tests. To investigate this suitability, test cases from twenty randomly selected requirements were developed, analyzed and graded. Requirements were selected from the requirements document of a Course Management System, a web based software system that supports teachers and students in performing course related tasks. This paper describes the results of the requirements document analysis. The results show that requirements at lower levels in the RAM are suitable for developing executable tests whereas it is hard to develop from requirements at higher levels.
[1] Pyhajarvi, M., Rautiainen, K., Itkonen, J.: Increasing Understanding of
the Modern Testing Perspective in Software Development Projects. In:
Proceedings of the 36th Annual Hawaii International Conference on
System Sciences (HICSS'03), (2003).
[2] Offutt, A.J., Yiwei, Xiong, Shaoying, Liu: Criteria for Generating
Specification-Based Tests. In: 5th International Conference on
Engineering of Complex Computer Systems (ICECCS '99), pp. 119-129
(1999).
[3] Ryser, J., Berner, S., Glinz, M.: On the State of the Art in Requirementsbased
Validation and Test of Software. Technical Report, Institut fur
Informatik, University of Zurich (1998).
[4] Elfriede, D.: Effective Software Testing: 50 Specific Ways to Improve
Your Testing. Addison Wesley Professional, (2002).
[5] Tahat, L.H., Vaysburg, B., Korel, B., Bader, A.J.: Requirement-based
automated black-box test generation. In: 25th Annual International
Computer Software and Applications Conference (COMPSAC'01), pp.
489-495 (2001).
[6] Gorschek, T., Svahnberg, M., Borg, A., Loconsole, A., Borstler, J.,
Sandahl, K., Eriksson, M.: A Controlled Empirical Evaluation of A
Requirements Abstraction Model. In: Information and Software
Technology, Vol. 49, pp. 790-80 (2007).
[7] Gorschek, T., Wohlin, C.: Requirements Abstraction Model. In:
Requirements Engineering, Vol. 11, pp. 79-101 (2006).
[8] Karlsson, L., Dahlstedt, A.G., Natt och Dag, J., Regnell, B., Persson, A.:
Requirements Engineering Challenges in Market-Driven Software
Development - An Interview Study with Practitioners. In: Information
and Software Technology, Vol.49, pp. 588-604 (2007).
[9] Gorschek, T., Wohlin, C., Garre, P.: A Model for Technology Transfer
in Practice. In: IEEE Software, Vol. 23, pp. 88-96 (2006).
[10] Abdurazik, A., Ammann, P., Ding, W., Offutt, J.: Evaluation of Three
Specification-based Testing Criteria. In: Sixth IEEE International
Conference on Engineering of Complex Computer Systems (ICECCS
'00), pp. 179-187 (2000).
[11] Svahnberg, M.: Course Management System RAM Requirements
Document, Blekinge Tekniska Hogskola Sweden.
[12] IEEE, "IEEE-STD 829-1998: IEEE standard for software test
documentation," IEEE, [online]. Available:
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/servlet/opac?punumber=5976. [Accessed:
August 08, 2007].
[13] Gorschek, T., Garre, P., Larsson, S.B.M., Wohlin, C.: Industry
Evaluation of the Requirements Abstraction Model. In: Requirements
Engineering, Vol. 12, pp. 163-190 (2007).
[14] Tahat, L.H., Vaysburg, B., Korel, B., Bader, A.J.: Requirement-Based
Automated Black-Box Test Generation. In: 25th Annual International
Computer Software and Applications Conference (COMPSAC'01), pp.
489-495 (2001).
[15] Ryser; j., Glinz, M.: SCENT: A Method Employing Scenarios to
Systematically Derive Test Cases for System Test. Universitt Zrich,
Institut fr Informatik, Zrich, Berichte des Instituts fr Informatik, (online).
Available: http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/ryser00scent.html. Accessed:
November 24, 2007.
[1] Pyhajarvi, M., Rautiainen, K., Itkonen, J.: Increasing Understanding of
the Modern Testing Perspective in Software Development Projects. In:
Proceedings of the 36th Annual Hawaii International Conference on
System Sciences (HICSS'03), (2003).
[2] Offutt, A.J., Yiwei, Xiong, Shaoying, Liu: Criteria for Generating
Specification-Based Tests. In: 5th International Conference on
Engineering of Complex Computer Systems (ICECCS '99), pp. 119-129
(1999).
[3] Ryser, J., Berner, S., Glinz, M.: On the State of the Art in Requirementsbased
Validation and Test of Software. Technical Report, Institut fur
Informatik, University of Zurich (1998).
[4] Elfriede, D.: Effective Software Testing: 50 Specific Ways to Improve
Your Testing. Addison Wesley Professional, (2002).
[5] Tahat, L.H., Vaysburg, B., Korel, B., Bader, A.J.: Requirement-based
automated black-box test generation. In: 25th Annual International
Computer Software and Applications Conference (COMPSAC'01), pp.
489-495 (2001).
[6] Gorschek, T., Svahnberg, M., Borg, A., Loconsole, A., Borstler, J.,
Sandahl, K., Eriksson, M.: A Controlled Empirical Evaluation of A
Requirements Abstraction Model. In: Information and Software
Technology, Vol. 49, pp. 790-80 (2007).
[7] Gorschek, T., Wohlin, C.: Requirements Abstraction Model. In:
Requirements Engineering, Vol. 11, pp. 79-101 (2006).
[8] Karlsson, L., Dahlstedt, A.G., Natt och Dag, J., Regnell, B., Persson, A.:
Requirements Engineering Challenges in Market-Driven Software
Development - An Interview Study with Practitioners. In: Information
and Software Technology, Vol.49, pp. 588-604 (2007).
[9] Gorschek, T., Wohlin, C., Garre, P.: A Model for Technology Transfer
in Practice. In: IEEE Software, Vol. 23, pp. 88-96 (2006).
[10] Abdurazik, A., Ammann, P., Ding, W., Offutt, J.: Evaluation of Three
Specification-based Testing Criteria. In: Sixth IEEE International
Conference on Engineering of Complex Computer Systems (ICECCS
'00), pp. 179-187 (2000).
[11] Svahnberg, M.: Course Management System RAM Requirements
Document, Blekinge Tekniska Hogskola Sweden.
[12] IEEE, "IEEE-STD 829-1998: IEEE standard for software test
documentation," IEEE, [online]. Available:
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/servlet/opac?punumber=5976. [Accessed:
August 08, 2007].
[13] Gorschek, T., Garre, P., Larsson, S.B.M., Wohlin, C.: Industry
Evaluation of the Requirements Abstraction Model. In: Requirements
Engineering, Vol. 12, pp. 163-190 (2007).
[14] Tahat, L.H., Vaysburg, B., Korel, B., Bader, A.J.: Requirement-Based
Automated Black-Box Test Generation. In: 25th Annual International
Computer Software and Applications Conference (COMPSAC'01), pp.
489-495 (2001).
[15] Ryser; j., Glinz, M.: SCENT: A Method Employing Scenarios to
Systematically Derive Test Cases for System Test. Universitt Zrich,
Institut fr Informatik, Zrich, Berichte des Instituts fr Informatik, (online).
Available: http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/ryser00scent.html. Accessed:
November 24, 2007.
@article{"International Journal of Information, Control and Computer Sciences:60459", author = "Naeem Muhammad and Yves Vandewoude and Yolande Berbers and Robert Feldt", title = "Suitability of Requirements Abstraction Model (RAM) Requirements for High-Level System Testing", abstract = "The Requirements Abstraction Model (RAM) helps in managing abstraction in requirements by organizing them at four levels (product, feature, function and component). The RAM is adaptable and can be tailored to meet the needs of the various organizations. Because software requirements are an important source of information for developing high-level tests, organizations willing to adopt the RAM model need to know the suitability of the RAM requirements for developing high-level tests. To investigate this suitability, test cases from twenty randomly selected requirements were developed, analyzed and graded. Requirements were selected from the requirements document of a Course Management System, a web based software system that supports teachers and students in performing course related tasks. This paper describes the results of the requirements document analysis. The results show that requirements at lower levels in the RAM are suitable for developing executable tests whereas it is hard to develop from requirements at higher levels.
", keywords = "Market-driven requirements engineering, requirements abstraction model, requirements abstraction, system testing.", volume = "2", number = "2", pages = "539-7", }
