SimMetrics: A Software Metrics Acquisition and Visualization Tool

1
SimMetrics A Software Metrics Acquisition and
Visualization Tool
CS 426 Senior Projects, Spring 2005

• Students
• Eiler, Derek
• Leong, Herman
• Penrod, Nathan

Project Advisors Sergiu Dascalu, Ph.D. Brian
Westphal, M.S. Norm Brown, Ph.D.
2
Overview

• Introduction What is SimMetrics?
• Review of Software Metrics
• Related Software DataDrill, MindManager
• SimMetrics GUI
• Future Work
• Questions/Answers

3
Introduction

• SimMetrics is a tool designed for software
  project managers
• Creates PowerPoint presentations from data in
  Excel spreadsheets
• Used to generate informative visual
  representations of software metrics data
• Generic interface design will allow for program
  extensibility

4
What Are Software Metrics?

• Measurable factors related to the development of
  software
• Help indicate potential problems in the
  development process
• Used by project managers to produce quality
  software in a timely manner
• Defining new, more informative metrics is an
  active area of research

5
Categories of Metrics

• Schedule Performance and Confidence
• Functional Delivery Progress
• Test Progress
• Integration Progress
• Milestone Migration
• Defect Resolution
• Defect Aging
• Risks
• Top Software Risks
• Software Risks on Programs Critical Path
• Staffing Forecast
• Requirements Progress
• CPU / Memory Utilization
• Speed of Execution
• Earned Value
• Specific Earned Value
• Specific Estimated at Completion

6
Examples of Software Metrics

• Functional Delivery Progress
• Planned Delivery Date When software
  functionality was initially planned to be fully
  tested and integrated.
• Re-Planned Delivery Date Each revised planned
  delivery date.
• Delivered Date When planned software
  functionality actually becomes available

7
FUNCTIONAL DELIVERY PROGRESS
1
Build 1
Build 2
Build 3
Build 4
Build 5
Date
Date
Date
Date
Date
Function 1
Function 2
Function 3
Function 4
...
Function 5
Tie to IMSWhere Possible
...
...
...
Function n
Today
Fully Implemented
Planned
Partially Implemented
Replanned
Unimplemented
8
Examples of Software Metrics

• Defect resolution
• Number of defects reported
• Number of reported defects that haven't been
  fixed
• Defect Aging
• Number of months to repair a known defect
• Category 1 Defect System Abort Prevents
  accomplishment of a mission-essential capability
  of jeopardizes safety
• Category 2 Defect System Degraded No
  Work-Around. Adversely affects accomplishment of
  an operational or mission-essential capability
  for which no work around solution is known

9
DEFECT RESOLUTION DEFECT AGING
4
DEFECT RESOLUTION
Reported
Not Fixed
Months
DEFECT AGING
Age of Unfixed Defects
16
Months Unfixed
8
Category 1 Defect
4
2
Category 2 Defect
1
Number Unfixed Defects by Age
10
DataDrill

• Similar concept to SimMetrics
• Manages software metrics
• Provides graphical visualizations
• Web interface design
• Data is centralized
• Information is shared
• Differs in that it is not as flexible as our
  concept

11
MindManager

• Another similar tool
• Used in process management and planning
• Features Microsoft Office integration
• Differs in that it does not
• focus completely on metrics

12
GUI Preview Main Window
Visualization Preview Pane
Configuration Pane
Data Entry Pane
Presentation Organizer Pane
13
GUI Preview Sample Configuration Window
Layout defined by respective Visualization Module
14
Future Work

• Generate Macromedia Flash presentations as
  output.
• Generate HTML web pages as output.
• Provide a graphical interface for specifying new
  visualization modules.
• Voice recognition for control of the application.

15
Questions?