Software for Dependable Systems Sufficient Evidence? (2007) / Chapter Skim
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4 Findings and Recommendations
4 Findings and Recommendations
Pages 103-109
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From page 103... ...
More data are needed about software failures and the efficacy of development approaches. Assessment of the state of the software industry, the risks posed by software, and progress made is currently hampered 1As an indication of the growth in the pervasiveness of software, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found in 2003 that the output of prepackaged software increased annually by 26.5 percent between 1990 and 2000, growth attributed to "the increased use of computers and the rising demand for reliable, user-friendly software." See |
From page 104... ...
A variety of modern technologies -- in particular, safe programming languages, static analysis, and formal methods -- are likely to reduce the cost and difficulty of producing dependable software. Elementary best practices, such as source code control and systematic defect tracking, should be universally adopted, and development organizations that fail to use them should not be regarded as sources of dependable software.
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From page 105... ...
Despite this flexibility, in practice the challenges of developing dependable software are sufficiently great that developers will need considerable expertise and will have to justify any deviations from best practices. Demand more transparency, so that customers and users can make more informed judgments about dependability.
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From page 106... ...
can be damaging. base certification on inspection and analysis of the dependability claim and the evidence offered in its support.
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From page 107... ...
At present, it is common for software developers to disclaim liability for defects in their products to a greater extent than customers and society expect from manufacturers in other industries. Clearly, no software should be considered dependable if it is supplied with a disclaimer that withholds the manufacturer's commitment to provide a warranty or other remedies for software that fails to meet its dependability claims.
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From page 108... ...
More emphasis should be placed on systems thinking; on requirements, specification, and largescale design; on security; on usability; on the development of robust and resilient code; on basic discrete mathematics and statistics; and on the construction and analysis of dependability arguments. Federal agencies that support information technology research and development should give priority to basic research to further softwareenabled system dependability, emphasizing a systems perspective and evidence.
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From page 109... ...
But if our society succeeds in this ambitious program, we can hope that, 10 or 20 years from now, the adoption of ambitious and potentially dangerous new systems will be justified by rational arguments; a broad consensus in the software industry will guide standard practice; the production of software will be less expensive and more predictable than it is today; and the incidence of software failures will be low and well-documented.
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