a domain specific language for configurable traceability analysis

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Hendrik Bünder, Herbert Kuchen, Christoph Rieger

A Domain-specific Language for Configurable Traceability Analysis

Hendrik Bünder

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• Traceability

• Contribution

• Configurable Analysis Example

• Language Features

• Conclusion and Outlook

Agenda

2

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(Requirements) Traceability is the ability to describe and follow an artifact and all its linked artifacts in forward and backward direction.

Gotel and Finkelstein (1994)

TraceabilityDefinition

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TraceabilityTraceability Information Configuration Model

• Defines traceable artifacts and trace links

• Trace links are bidirectional (arrow-head for primary direction)

• Basis for the Traceability Information Model (TIM)

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• Verify all/only requested requirements are implemented (prescribed by laws and process maturity models)

• Estimate project budgets

• Track project progress and quality

• Support development and maintenance

• Document test execution and results per requirement or code unit

TraceabilityGoals

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• TIMs are created in late phases of the project (just before the audit)

• Traceability tools offer limited support for analysing trace data

• Insight remains hidden in large TIMs

TraceabilityPractical Experience

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Query Languages for information retrieval from TIMs available,…

…but no support for further data processing or computing metrics

ContributionBuilding bridges to gain knowledge

• Analysis Language consisting of Query, Metric and Rule expressions to retrieve, aggregate and check traceability information

• An interpreter integrated into a commercial software solution for real time model evaluation

Meaningful metrics with proven practical relevance for TIMs available,….

…but information retrieval is not configurable

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Computing the number of related requirements

Configurable Analysis Example

“With every relation to another requirement, which can be direct or transitive, the complexity of the originated requirement increases”

Rempel and Mäder (2015)

Metric:

Compute the number of related Requirements per Requirement

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Requirement Number of Related Requirements

RQ1 1



Metric:


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RQ1 2



Metric:


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RQ1 2

RQ2 2

RQ3 2

RQ4 1

RQ5 1



Metric:


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Real World Traceability Information Model


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result relatedRequirements from

tracesFromTo(Requirement, Requirement) as paths

.collect(paths.getStart().getName() as srcReq,

paths.getEnd().getName() as targetReq)

Query named relatedRequirements

Function tracesFromTo called for Requirements

Defining the columns of the query result

Retrieving raw data from the TIM

Query Language

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Features

Query Language

• Graph traversal encapsulated in a function

• Function parameterized with traceable artifacts as defined by the TICM

• Columns can be specified based on the returned trace artefacts and links

• Additional predicates such as groupBy or sum

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metric NRR = cnt(relatedRequirements.srcReq)

• Metric with the name NRR

• The cnt function counts all values with the same content

• Parameterized with the srcReq column from the query result

Aggregating raw data

Metrics Language

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Features

Metrics Language

• Predefined functions to count, sum up, etc.

• Tabular result structure

• Metrics may refer to other metrics

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rule highNRR = warnIf(m: NRR > 3, “Number of related requirements too high!“)

• After keyword „rule“ a name is given

• Warning message introduced by „warnIf“

• Reference to metric value that is compared to given threshold

• Warning message

Defining analysis statements

Rules Language

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Features

Rules Language

• Rules to check metric or query results against defined thresholds

• Different severity: Warning or Error

• Result is a tabular structure as well

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• Analysis Language Interpreter was tested with models up to 50,000 artifacts

• Flexible approach to query raw data from custom traceability models

• Company-, project-, or user-specific analysis possible

• Staggered analysis to define warning and error rules for the same metric or result column

Conclusion and Future WorkConclusion

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Conclusion and Future WorkIntegration

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• Quality of every analysis depends on the quality of the underlying TIM

• Users need to be trained to use all features of the Analysis Language

Conclusion and Future WorkLimitations

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• Investigation of real-world projects is pending

• Evaluate which analyses are reasonable for specfic industries

• Apply data mining techniques to TIMs

Conclusion and Future WorkFuture Work

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a domain specific language for configurable traceability analysis

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