FIT5171 · System validation and verification, quality and standards

Overview

This unit covers the core software engineering disciplines concerned with managing and delivering quality software. Topics include processes, tools and techniques for system validation and verification, including major commercial tools used in industry. It shows how to detect, analyse and control defects in complex software systems. Inspection and testing methodologies, analysis of artefacts, robustness, quality assurance, and advanced software validation and verification methods are covered.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook lists an examination for this unit.

This unit has threshold mark hurdles. You must achieve at least 45% of the available marks in the final scheduled assessment, at least 45% in total for in-semester assessments, and an overall unit mark of 50% or more to be able to pass the unit. If you do not achieve the threshold mark, you will receive a fail grade (NH) and a maximum mark of 45 for the unit.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Explain the importance of quality assurance in software engineering;
2. Articulate the role of validation and verification methods in the system development life cycle; key issues in software testing, testing levels and testing techniques;
3. Categorise and apply selection and combination of techniques and test related measures;
4. Measure, evaluate and analyse software under test using different quality and complexity metrics;
5. Develop adequate test cases to help detect software system defects using industry-strength IDEs, unit testing frameworks such as JUnit, code coverage tools such as Cobertura, and other similar products;
6. Implement continuous integration (CI) at unit, integration & system testing level using a CI server such as Jenkins to automatically run regression test suites on the system under test.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled online and face to face learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated reading and preparation for scheduled teaching activities.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.