Method of producing a software product

• US 20040031014A1
• Filed: 12/16/2002
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Kloess, Susanne, Monnerat, Beat R, Robbins, Richard L Jr., Zahm, Robert R, Baecker, Thomas Peter, Nargolwalla, Tanya, Carnahan, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 7,257,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3608 using formal methods, e.g. model checking, abstract interpretation theorem proving G06N5/013
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design

Abstract

A software product is produced by defining a functional model of the overall software product, designing, based on this functional model, a plurality n of configurations and slices of the software product, wherein a configuration is the entirety or a part of the software product forming an independently testable unit and a slice is a set of functions of the software product constructed together and forming the entirety or part of a configuration. The n slices are independently constructed wherein the first slice forms the first configuration. The seond to n-th configurations are formed by integrating the k-th configuration with the (k+1) slice, wherein k is 1, . . . , n. Subsequently a first to n-th configuration are tested independently. This software development approach allows an integration of the overall systems in parts as early as possible and to gradually increase the number of integrated components in a controlled, but manageable fashion. This allows to achieve a highly efficient use of resources within a short development time.

Claims

1. A method of producing a software product, comprising:

a) defining a functional model of the software product,

b) designing, based on the functional model, a plurality n of configurations and slices of the software product, a configuration being an entirety or a part of the software product forming an independently testable unit and a slice being a set of functions of the software product constructed together and forming an entirety or a part of a configuration,

c) constructing a first slice forming a first configuration,

d) independently constructing second to n-th slices of the software product,

e) forming the (k+1) configuration by integrating the k-th configuration with the (k+1) slice, wherein k=1, . . . n, and

f) independently testing the first to n-th configuration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein method step a) includes defining an overall architecture of the software product.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein method step a) includes a definition of external interfaces of the software product.

4. The method of one of claims 1-3, wherein different slices are constructed at least partially parallel to each other.

5. The method of one of claims 1-4, wherein testing of a finished configuration is carried out in parallel with producing further slices.

6. The method of one of claims 1-5 further comprising a step f) of regression testing the completed software product.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a regression test routine includes subtests covering sets of functionalities different from the slices.

8. The method of one of claims 1-7, wherein an integration layer is produced comprising a limited set of components produced with the k-th configuration as part of the k-th slice and being adapted with the (k+1) slice.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the integration layer comprises components which are stubbed with the k-th configuration as part of the k-th slice and which are replaced with components including real functionality as part of the (k+1) slice.

10. The method of one of claims 1-9, wherein at least three test executions are carried out for each configuration.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the content of the three test executions is identical and the target success rate of the first execution is about 70%, the second execution about 90% and the third execution approaches 100% of the tested functionality.

12. The method of one of claims 1 to 11, wherein each slice has defined entry points to trigger a desired functionality and defined outputs for verification of the desired functionality.

13. The method of one of claims 1-12, wherein the first slice generally contains infrastructure and/or architecture functions of the software product, the second slice generally contains set up functions, the third, fourth and subsequent slices generally contain respectively, capture and/or entry functions, transaction processing functions, primary output functions and secondary output functions.

14. The method of one of claims 1-13, wherein the first slice consists of basic functionality and therefore can be completed within a short time frame.

15. The method of one of claims 1-14, wherein the slices are designed to minimize internal interfaces between different slices in order to reduce the requirement for integration testing.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a slice has internal interfaces to not more than two adjacent slices.

17. The method of one of claims 1-16 comprising the step of creating, for every test routine, a test database for storing test data.

18. A computer program product produced by:

a) defining a functional model of the software product,

b) designing, based on the functional model, a plurality n of configurations and slices of the software product, a configuration being an entirety or a part of the software product forming an independently testable unit and a slice being a set of functions of the software product constructed together and forming an entirety or a part of a configuration,

c) constructing a first slice forming a first configuration,

d) independently constructing second to n-th slices of the software product,

e) forming the (k+1) configuration by integrating the k-th configuration with the (k+1) slice, wherein k=1, . . . n, and

f) independently testing the first to n-th configuration.

19. A storage medium having stored thereon a computer program product produced by the steps of:

a) defining a functional model of a target software product,

b) designing, based on the functional model, a plurality n of configurations and slices of the target software product, a configuration being an entirety or a part of the target software product forming an independently testable unit and a slice being a set of functions of the target software product constructed together and forming an entirety or a part of a configuration,

c) constructing a first slice forming a first configuration,

d) independently constructing second to n-th slices of the target software product,

e) forming the (k+1) configuration by integrating the k-th configuration with the (k+1) slice, wherein k=1, . . . n, and

f) independently testing the first to n-th configuration.

20. A computer system comprising an input/output unit, a processing unit and a storage unit, the storage unit comprising storage means having stored thereon a computer program product produced by:

a) defining a functional model of the software product,

b) designing, based on the functional model, a plurality n of configurations and slices of the software product, a configuration being an entirety or a part of the software product forming an independently testable unit and a slice being a set of functions of the software product constructed together and forming an entirety or a part of a configuration,

c) constructing a first slice forming a first configuration,

d) independently constructing second to n-th slices of the software product,

e) forming the (k+1) configuration by integrating the k-th configuration with the (k+1) slice, wherein k=1, . . . n, and

f) independently testing the first to n-th configuration.