LDRA launches TBreq 2.0

In addition to automating unit testing, TBreq 2.0 evolves the product into a requirements-based verification workflow engine that ties all the aspects of software verification and test into an automated process. TBreq 2.0 automates requirements coverage and verification for code reviews, quality reviews and all forms of functional testing along with the retrieval of verification results and verdicts into a networked-based Requirements Traceability Matrix which uniquely provides end-to-end, graphical traceability reports in a single view. Through the Requirements Traceability Matrix analysts and project managers can see a complete picture of traceability from software requirements to design, code, test specifications and test results.

In addition, TBreq 2.0 automates defect report generation, tracking and resolution and provides collaboration support via email, requirement-linked messaging and distributed workspaces as well as the generation and management of derived and copy (sibling) requirements, providing easy tracking and control of verification tasks. Furthermore, TBreq 2.0 automates the creation and linkage of software verification plans and reports with the linkage provided between requirements and all verification activities.

Providing scalable requirements management for projects of all sizes, TBreq 2.0 also fosters more of a systems engineering approach to software verification and test through the grouping and prioritising of requirements, the establishment and enforcement of a comprehensive Quality Model, the flexible assignment of user roles across a project team and the flow-down of requirements from multiple sources including DOORS, Word documents and spreadsheets.

“The key to collaborative software development and verification is the co-ordinated sharing and traceability of requirements artifacts assigned to project members, including high-level, low-level, and sibling requirements, across a wide range of project activities including development, testing, code coverage generation, software quality analysis and project reviews,” said Bill StClair, Technical Evangelist at LDRA. “TBreq 2.0 automates many of the previously manual, time consuming processes involved in requirements traceability and verification, while also facilitating defect tracking and resolution, activities that represent 50% to 70% of project costs and are critical to successful software development.”

Through its integration with the LDRA tool suite, TBreq links requirements repositories such as Telelogic DOORS® or even a Microsoft® Word document, to LDRA’s Testbed® and TBrun® static analysis, code coverage, system and unit test tools, to provide a unique solution that can help embedded software engineering teams overcome the challenges of allocating requirements to team members, mapping requirements to design and source code, linking test cases to requirements and the generation of verification reports. Activity results, including defect reports are automatically returned to the requirements management tool and/or defect tracking tool via TBreq to provide round-trip requirements verification. TBreq provides interfaces to and seamless integration with most leading tools found in the embedded software development tool chain.

“In many ways, TBreq represents the future of software development where software is designed to specification and behaves as intended, as mandated for all safety and mission-critical software, especially in embedded systems. Such requirements traceability and verification is mandatory for CMMI level 3 and above as well as for certification in avionics (DO-178B), defence, rail transportation (EN-50128), automotive (IEC 61508) and medical systems,” concluded Bill StClair. “These best practices are now also being adopted by telecoms, computer and appliance manufacturers, and other leading edge industry suppliers.”