ENGINEERING ( TYPE A )
OBJECTIVES
TO DEVELOP A FORMAL FRAMEWORK , METHODS AND TOOLS FOR THE CAPTURE AND DESCRIPTION OF SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS .
RATIONALE/BACKGROUND
THIS IS A PROBLEM OF FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE TO ALL IT PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT . FAILURE TO ACHIEVE EFFECTIVE REQUIREMENTS CAPTURE IS AT THE ROOT OF MANY SLIPS IN PROJECT TIMESCALES AND COST OVERRUN .
TECHNICAL APPROACH
INTERACTION WITH THE CLIENT/USER OF THE SYSTEM IS ESSENTIAL TO THIS ISSUE . THEREFORE A VARIETY OF APPROACHES MAY BE REQUIRED LIKE NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING , AUDIO-VISUAL FEEDBACK ( ANIMATION ) , IN ADDITION TO FORMAL METHODS WHICH WOULD BE AT THE CORE OF THE SOLUTION .
INTERMEDIATE OBJECTIVES
YEAR 2 - EXPERIMENT WITH EXISTING SYSTEMS , DRAW UP FORMAL FRAMEWORK
YEAR 3 - INITIAL METHODS AND PROTOTYPE TOOLS
YEAR 5 - PRODUCE DEFINITIVE METHODS AND COMPLETE CORRESPONDING TOOL SUPPORT .
INTERDEPENDENCIES
WITH AIP ( NATURAL LANGUAGE , COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY ) .
IN VIEW OF THE WIDE APPLICATION AREA DEPENDENCE , MORE THAN ONE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO BE LAUNCHED .
. PUBLIC-DOMAIN TECHNIQUES FOR SYSTEMS INTEGRITY
OBJECTIVES
TO DEVELOP METHODS AND TECHNIQUES FOR DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING SYSTEMS THAT MUST BE SAFEGUARDED FROM STATED INFRINGEMENTS , E . G . BECAUSE THEY DEAL WITH SENSITIVE DATA , OR BECAUSE RESOURCE USAGE MUST BE STRICTLY CONTROLLED FOR ACCOUNTING PURPOSES . AN IMPORTANT REQUIREMENT IS THAT THE METHODS AND TECHNIQUES MUST DEMONSTRABLY PROVIDE THE INTEGRITY PROPERTIES .
THE TECHNIQUES MUST BE CAPABLE OF DEALING WITH A DISTRIBUTED NETWORK OF USERS WITH MULTIPLE LEVELS OF ALLOWED ACCESS .
RATIONALE/BACKGROUND
TECHNIQUES BASED ON NON-PUBLIC , PROPRIETARY METHODS MAY NOT BE SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE IN MANY AREAS ( PUBLIC TELECOMMUNICATION , MEDICAL , BANKING , . . . ) . ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY THEY MAY BE UNACCEPTABLE IS THE DIFFICULTY OF ASSESSING THE REAL LEVEL OF SECURITY THEY PROVIDE . THEREFORE , THERE IS A NEED FOR TECHNIQUES THAT DO NOT RELY ON THEIR NOT BEING PUBLIC .
TECHNICAL APPROACH
FORMAL METHODS SHOULD BE ADOPTED SO AS TO BE ABLE TO GUARANTEE OR PROVE THE REQUIRED INTEGRITY PROPERTIES OF THE SYSTEM . SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS TO BE MEASURED FOR PURPOSES OF DEMONSTRATION WILL HAVE TO BE QUANTIFIED .
INTERDEPENDENCIES
RELATIONS TO SOFTWARE/HARDWARE SYNERGY ( ) AND SOFTWARE QUALITY AND RELIABILITY METRICS ( 2.1.4 ) .
PROPOSALS FOR B-TYPE PROJECTS ARE INVITED , WHICH MAY START IN 1986 .
. OTHER B-TYPE RESEARCH THEMES
IN THE AREA OF SYSTEMS ORIENTED APPROACHES A NUMBER OF SMALLER B-TYPE PROJECTS ARE ALSO ENVISAGED IN ADDITION TO THE LARGER A AND B-TYPE PROJECTS MENTIONED ABOVE . AN IMPORTANT ONE COULD BE THE STUDY OF TECHNICAL MEANS FOR EFFECTIVELY SAFEGUARDING THE PROPERTY RIGHTS IN SOFTWARE ( PREVENTION OF SOFTWARE PIRACY ) . OTHERS ARE EXEMPLIFIED BY DESIGN OF SOFTWARE FOR EMBEDDED MICROS , AND METHODS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DISTRIBUTED PROCESSOR SYSTEM .
2.1.2 . IMPROVING CURRENT SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT APPROACHES
THIS SUB-AREA IS INTENDED TO UNIFY AND IMPROVE METHODS AND TOOLS CORRESPONDING TO EXISTING FORMALISMS , WITH