University of Twente Student Theses
Tool support for change impact analysis in requirement models : exploiting semantics of requirement relations as traceabilitt relations
Spijkerman, Wietze (2010) Tool support for change impact analysis in requirement models : exploiting semantics of requirement relations as traceabilitt relations.
![[img]](http://essay.utwente.nl/style/images/fileicons/application_pdf.png) |
PDF
1MB |
| Abstract: | In the process of software engineering, eliciting requirements yields the first software artifacts; software requirements specifications. Software requirements are used to describe what a software system should do and are used to validate if the implementation satisfies the needs determined for it. From the moment that the first artifacts are produced, they are subject to change. Software artifacts are related to each other through traceability information. Using the traceability information, change impact analysis is performed and it is determined which related software artifacts require changes as well. However, without additional semantics of traceability information an explosion of impacts occurs. This means that change impact analysis yields all related artifacts and causes many false positives. Existing literature states that additional semantics should be employed to counter the explosion of impacts. Recent research yielded a metamodeling approach for requirements models that describes semantics for requirements relations. Tool support has been developed following this approach, that allows for inferencing and consistency checking of requirements models using these relations. However, the tool provides no support for performing change impact analysis. In this work, the semantics of requirements relations are exploited for the use of change impact analysis. This is done by identifying a classification of change for the formalized requirements model. Consequently different rationales of change are identified. It is determined that domain changes drive the change impact analysis. By combining the formalization for the rationale of change and the determined change classification, the semantics of requirements relations allow for a more precise propagation of change. It also enables semi-automatic support for relation validation, as well as identifying inconsistencies of multiple changes. Existing tool support for the metamodeling approach is extended to support change impact analysis using the semantics of requirements relations. The approach is then evaluated by performing an example case study. The example case study yields that using semantics of requirements relation for change impact analysis requires additional effort. The investment of additional effort yields a more precise change impact analysis and reduces the problem of the explosion of impacts |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | EEMCS: Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science |
| Subject: | 54 computer science |
| Programme: | Computer Science MSc (60300) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/59732 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
Show download statistics for this publication
Show download statistics for this publicationRepository Staff Only: item control page