Abstract
Software safety cases encourage developers to carry out only
those safety activities that actually reduce risk. In practice this is not
always achieved. To help remedy this, the SSEI at the University of York
has developed a set of software safety argument patterns. This paper
reports on using the patterns in two real-world case studies, evaluating
the patterns' use against criteria that includes flexibility, ability to reveal
assurance decits and ability to focus the case on software contributions
to hazards. The case studies demonstrated that the safety patterns can
be applied to a range of system types regardless of the stage or type of
development process, that they help limit safety case activities to those
that are signicant for achieving safety, and that they help developers nd
assurance decits in their safety case arguments. The case study reports
discuss the diffculties of applying the patterns, particularly in the case of
users who are unfamiliar with the approach, and the authors recognise in
response the need for better instructional material. But the results show
that as part of the development of best practice in safety, the patterns
promise signicant benets to industrial safety case creators.
those safety activities that actually reduce risk. In practice this is not
always achieved. To help remedy this, the SSEI at the University of York
has developed a set of software safety argument patterns. This paper
reports on using the patterns in two real-world case studies, evaluating
the patterns' use against criteria that includes flexibility, ability to reveal
assurance decits and ability to focus the case on software contributions
to hazards. The case studies demonstrated that the safety patterns can
be applied to a range of system types regardless of the stage or type of
development process, that they help limit safety case activities to those
that are signicant for achieving safety, and that they help developers nd
assurance decits in their safety case arguments. The case study reports
discuss the diffculties of applying the patterns, particularly in the case of
users who are unfamiliar with the approach, and the authors recognise in
response the need for better instructional material. But the results show
that as part of the development of best practice in safety, the patterns
promise signicant benets to industrial safety case creators.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Computer Safety, Reliability, and Security |
| Subtitle of host publication | Proceedings of the 30th international conference on Computer safety, reliability, and security |
| Place of Publication | Berlin |
| Publisher | Springer |
| Pages | 185-198 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Volume | 6894 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-3-642-24269-4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Sept 2011 |
Publication series
| Name | Lecture Notes in Computer Science |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Springer |
| Volume | 6894 |