Towards better quality and reliability in the software reuse library environment

Abstract

In today's DoD software environment, where systems of enormous size, complexity and cost are the norm, economic conditions are driving DoD system developers to seek ways to increase productivity while decreasing product defects. To achieve its goals, DoD has taken the approach of integrating reuse into the software development process. In 1992, DISA established its Software Reuse Program to serve as a prototype for the DoD-wide reuse initiative. This thesis will look at DISA's effort to support DoD's reuse vision. Specifically, it will discuss DISA's software reuse library management and will introduce a methodology for the collection and analysis of metrics relating to software performance in order to improve library software quality. This thesis concludes that metrics can play a key role in any organization's software quality program. While metrics alone are not a solution to the reuse quality problem, they are a tool to be used prudently by the software quality manager to manage and improve the quality of organizational software