Real project problems for QuadREAD

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Real project problems for QuadREAD
Wiebe Hordijk 17-4-2007
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Agenda

• QuadREAD
• Project setting
• Problems

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Introduction

• QuadREAD looks for real-world problems in RE/AD
  alignment
• Investigating real-world problems can help close
  the gap between science and practice
• Some personal observations can contribute

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QuadREAD
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QuadREAD

• Bridging the gap between RE and AD
• Close cooperation between industry and science
• Participation through meetings, case studies,
  master thesis projects
• Focused on practical problems
• First phase State of Art / State of Practise

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Cadastre

• Maintains real estate ownership data
• Necessary for real estate transactions
• Maintains data about topography of The
  Netherlands
• Municipalities provide measurement data
• Buildings
• Infrastructure
• Water
• Cadastre checks and registers changes
• Too many manual steps

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Project setting

• 1.5 Requirements engineers
• 2.5 Software engineers
• 1 Software architect / RUP coach
• 1 Database administrator
• 1 Project leader
• Java, C, Oracle, GeoMedia
• Unix, Windows, Citrix

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From waterfall...
Functional Analysis
Functional design
Technical design
Realization
Test
Deployment
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... to RUP
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Which methods to use

• Transitioning from Waterfall to RUP
• Methods used loosely
• Much confusion about what a method should
  prescribe
• Process
• Artifacts
• Roles
• Templates for documentation
• Debate about how to apply methods
• Recipe precise step-by-step prescription
• Manual loose prescription
• Checklist reminder
• High perceived risk in method transition

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How to introduce new development methods

• Selling a method to its users
• Educating the users
• Support by tools, templates etc
• Quality control
• Knowledge management

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RE/AD connection

• Where to stop RE activities?
• User-visible behaviour
• Interactions with environment
• Interactions between components
• What artifacts does RE deliver?
• How to integrate RE in an iterative process?
• How to communicate RE changes, AD problems
• How to manage change

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Notations UML examples
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Notations to use

• Diagram types
• Who makes which diagrams?
• Level of detail
• Level of formality
• Integration with text
• Integration with code artifacts
• Standardisation across projects

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Why did we design it like that?
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Reasons for design decisions

• Rationale and traceability unknown terms, simple
  ideas
• Problems
• Where to document reasons same/different
  document, model?
• How plain text, template, QOC table, design
  space
• When during/after decision making
• Current solutions too complex and invasive
• Solution should be fully integrated with RUP and
  used tools

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Change propagation
Business
RE
Test
AD
Ent. Arch.
Code
Infra
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How to evaluate risks of new technologies

• Important part of technology transition
• People prefer to stay with what they know
• It has problems, but we know how to handle them

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How to use formal inspections in a RUP project

• Used Fagan inspections on RE products
• Problem not efficient because of overlap with
  other review methods

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How to assess code quality

• Needed to make reuse decisions
• Functionality is visible from outside, code
  quality is not
• Often the only ones able to assess code quality
  have a stake in the reuse decision
• Who should make reuse decisions?

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How to use fixed-price contracts in a RUP project

• RUP is iterative
• Fixed-price implies fixed functionality implies
  waterfall

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Problems overview

• Methods to use
• Notations to use
• Introducing new development methods
• Reasons for design decisions
• RE/AD connection
• Evaluating risks of new developments
• Using formal inspections in a RUP project