Software Assurance
practitioners in the NASA community
Overview of Software IV&V
Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) is performed by an organization that is technically, managerially, and financially independent of the development organization and governing program/project management. For NASA, IV&V is performed and managed by the NASA IV&V Facility in Fairmont, West Virginia. As a discipline of Software Assurance, IV&V focuses on mission critical software by conducting reviews and in-depth analyses of life cycle products that carry the highest level of risk.
Examples of IV&V activities include:
- Validation of software design to meet system needs/requirements
- Traceability of safety critical requirements
- Design analysis of selected critical algorithms
- Code analysis of mission-critical software components
For more information on the NASA IV&V Facility and their support services, go to IV&V's website.
Getting IV&V Started on GSFC Projects
GSFC, like all NASA Centers, has a newly designated Software IV&V Liaison to serve as the entry point for establishing IV&V support for Center projects, systems, or software development efforts.
The IV&V Liaison is responsible for developing and managing a Software IV&V process that promotes consistency in the application of IV&V across all GSFC projects. In addition to facilitating initial communication between the IV&V Facility and new project(s), the IV&V Liaison is responsible for:
- Working with Center software assurance personnel to determine the safety criticality and software assurance support associated with each project's software development and/or maintenance effort
- Coordinating with NASA Headquarters on the selection of software development projects for IV&V support
- Advising the Center's Assurance Management Office on the balance between IV&V activities and the other software assurance disciplines
- Developing and maintaining a prioritized list of Center projects, systems, or software development efforts that warrant IV&V support
- Providing technical guidance, as well as awareness training, on IV&V roles and responsibilities, requirements, benefits, and deliverables
- Soliciting and maintaining customer feedback on IV&V
For more information or answers to your questions, contact the GSFC IV&V Liaison at Susan Sekira.
IV&V Support at GSFC
In FY06, IV&V support is being provided for the following GSFC Projects:
- AIM - Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere
- GLAST - Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope
- GLORY - Observing the Earth's Aerosols and Solar Irradiance
- IBEX - Interstellar Boundary Explorer
- JWST - James Webb Space Telescope
- LRO - Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
- NPP - National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project
- SDO - Solar Dynamics Observatory
- STEREO - Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory
- THEMIS
IV&V Assets
The following presentations and work products are maintained for informational purposes and may be used as training materials for Program/Project Managers, Software Development Leads, or software practitioners who would like to learn more about IV&V:
- SQA and IV&V: How They are Different and Why Projects Need Both of Them for Mission Success - Presented on October 30, 2002 to GSFC Program Managers
- IV&V Transition Concept Review - Presented on December 12, 2003 to the GSFC PMC and provides results from the 2003 Agency Assessment of IV&V
- Request from NASA Headquarters for a Ranked List of Projects from each Center
- IV&V Overview Presentation - an overview of IV&V and how to get started
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When should IV&V support begin and end?
A: IV&V support tasks begin once the System Requirements have been developed and prior to the Software Requirements Review. Support typically ends on or about the Mission Readiness Review (MRR). However; some Projects have extended software development post-launch or major upgrades/maintenance (e.g., Shuttle) that warrants additional IV&V.
Q: If I have IV&V on my project, do I need Software Quality? Am I paying twice for the same thing?
A: SQ and IV&V are complementary disciplines of Software Assurance, but neither should supercede the other. SQ provides Center-level support that focuses on ALL project software with the emphasis on overall process and product compliance to standards and procedures. SQ reviews, monitors, and audits all project processes and products. IV&V provides an Agency-level service that focuses on MISSION-CRITICAL software with the emphasis on completeness and correctness of the product. IV&V reviews, analyses, and provides in-depth evaluations of life cycle products which have the highest risk. While SQ personnel are matrixed to a Project and provide daily insight/oversight, IV&V personnel are independent from the project and provide in-depth analyses and evaluations per IV&V priorities and project milestones.
Q: Who funds IV&V?
A: In September 2003, the NASA Executive Council decided that IV&V would be funded by Corporate G&A. Beginning in FY05, NASA projects will be funded based on an annual priority ranking resulting from an Agency-wide criticality criteria exercise and final review and approval by an IV&V Board of Directors (IBD).
Q: Is IV&V part of the Office of Systems Safety and Mission Assurance (Code 300)?
A: Effective September 2003, IV&V is now a NASA Headquarters Safety and Mission Assurance Program delegated to GSFC (Code 180) and reports to the GSFC Program Management Council (PMC) as a separate Program Office.
Q: How are IV&V findings and/or risks escalated within the Center?
A: IV&V always reports issues to software development personnel first and treats the Project as the primary "customer" for technical findings and risks. Unresolved issues are escalated to the Project PM and the IV&V Facility PM (assigned to the project). If issues continue, the Center IV&V Liaison and the IV&V Facility Lead would step in and work jointly to address the issue. If unsuccessful, the Project and the IV&V Facility would escalate technical issues to the GSFC PMC for final resolution.
