BS ISO IEC 26554-2018 PDF

Full title and description

STB BS ISO/IEC 26554:2018 — Information technology — Software and systems engineering — Tools and methods for product line testing. This international standard defines terms, processes, method capabilities and tool capabilities to support testing of software and systems product lines (families of related products), with emphasis on methods and automation for testing across product variant sets rather than for a single system.

Abstract

ISO/IEC 26554:2018 provides a framework for testing within software and systems product lines. It specifies vocabulary specific to product-line testing, describes testing processes in terms of purpose, inputs, tasks and outcomes, and defines the capabilities that methods and tools should provide to support those tasks. The standard targets testing across multiple product variants and describes capabilities for semi-automated and automated support.

General information

• Status: Published / confirmed
• Publication date: November 2018 (2018-11)
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) / International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC); adopted as BS ISO/IEC 26554:2018 by BSI
• ICS / categories: 35.080 (Software engineering)
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2018)
• Number of pages: 55

Scope

This standard applies to tools and methods used for testing software and systems product lines. It covers terminology, the definition of product-line testing processes (purpose, inputs, tasks, outcomes), and the definition of method and tool capabilities needed to carry out those tasks. ISO/IEC 26554:2018 is concerned with testing across a family of related products (including variability and configuration management aspects relevant to testing) rather than testing of a single product instance.

Key topics and requirements

• Terms and definitions specific to product-line testing (to standardize vocabulary across organizations).
• Definition of testing processes for product lines: purpose, inputs, tasks and expected outcomes.
• Specification of method capabilities required to support product-line testing tasks (e.g., variant selection, test derivation, traceability).
• Specification of tool capabilities to automate or semi-automate tasks or method capabilities (e.g., generation of variant-specific test artifacts, management of test suites across variants).
• Focus on testing across variant sets (product families), handling variability, and supporting reuse of tests and test assets.
• Guidance to tool vendors and method designers on capability requirements to enable effective product-line testing workflows.

Typical use and users

Intended users include test managers, QA engineers, software/product-line engineers, tooling vendors, process-improvement specialists and standards/practice bodies who design or evaluate test methods and tools for product families. Organizations developing software product lines or configurable systems use the standard to shape testing processes, select or evaluate tools, and ensure repeatable testing across variants.

Related standards

Standards and documents commonly referenced together with ISO/IEC 26554 include lifecycle and testing standards produced by ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7 (for example ISO/IEC 12207 for software lifecycle processes and ISO/IEC 29119 series for software testing concepts and techniques), and process-assessment standards used for capability and process improvement. Users often map product-line testing practices to these existing lifecycle and testing frameworks.

Keywords

product line testing, software product line, product family, variability, test automation, test methods, tool capabilities, method capabilities, test derivation, test reuse, configuration testing, ISO/IEC 26554

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO/IEC 26554:2018 specifies tools and methods for testing software and systems product lines. It defines terminology, testing processes for product families, and the capabilities required of methods and tools to support those processes.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers terms and definitions specific to product-line testing; processes described by purpose, inputs, tasks and outcomes; method capabilities to perform tasks; and tool capabilities to automate or semi-automate those tasks. The emphasis is on testing across multiple variants in a product family rather than on single-product testing.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Test managers, QA and test engineers, product-line and software engineers, tooling vendors, and process-improvement teams in organizations that develop configurable systems or software product lines.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO/IEC 26554:2018 is an international standard published in November 2018. Users should check national adoption and confirmation status with their national standards body for the most current standing and any national amendments or reviews.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: ISO/IEC 26554:2018 is part of the body of ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7 standards addressing software and systems engineering; it is aligned with related lifecycle and testing standards but is a standalone document focused on product-line testing capabilities for methods and tools.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: product line testing; software product line; variability; test automation; method capabilities; tool capabilities; test reuse; configuration testing.