Department of Computer Science

High Integrity Systems Engineering (HISE) 2011/2

Workload - Private Study - Assessment - Description - Learning Outcomes - Content - Teaching Materials - Recommended Books

Workload

• Lectures: 18 x 1hr
• Practicals: 17 x 1hr
• Private Study: 30hrs
• Assessment: 35hrs

The module teaching will be delivered over one week. The module co-ordinator will be Professor John McDermid of York Computer Science Department.

Assessment

Open Assessment

• Sum/8/Thu -> Vac/5/Wed, uses electronic submission.
  Feedback: Vac/11/Wed

Open assessment of 35 hours, typically three questions: two technical questions firmly based on taught material, and one more open-ended requiring private study.

Formative Feedback

Oral feedback to indicate problem areas will be given in the practicals. Written individual feedback will be returned after marking the open assessment.

Description

The module is intended to be a “scene setting” element of the issues in developing high integrity software to provide awareness for all students taking the LSCITS EngD. It will provide some basic skills for those not studying the issue further, and a “platform” for those wishing to go into more detail in the specialist discipline.

The module aims:

• To provide an overview of the challenges in developing high integrity software systems;
  
• To provide an overview of processes for accreditation of security critical systems and certification of safety critical systems;
  
• To provide an understanding of the diversity and growing diversity of high integrity systems on which commerce, transport, etc. depends;
  
• To introduce the key techniques in achieving and assuring high integrity software;
  
• To identify approaches to justifying safety, security etc.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module, students should:

• Understand the state of the art in developing high integrity systems;
  
• Understand the risk factors in developing high integrity systems, and approaches to managing key risks;
  
• Understand the growing societal dependence on high integrity systems;
  
• Be able to identify appropriate techniques and processes for developing and/or assuring high integrity systems;
  
• Be able to undertake risk assessments for proposed high integrity systems projects.

Content

The module will address:

• Requirements and design, especially architectural, techniques for specifying and developing high integrity systems;
  Analysis and testing techniques for high integrity systems;
  
• Security accreditation and safety certification practices, e.g., the common criteria, safety cases, etc.;
  
• The concept of dependability, trade-offs between attributes of dependability, and the need for “dependability cases”;
  
• Risks and risk assessment methods, and the typical risks which afflict high integrity projects;
  
• Approaches to risk management, e.g. evolutionary and incremental life-cycles;
  
• Sources of information on high integrity applications;
  
• Case studies of both successful and unsuccessful projects, and an analysis of the critical success (failure) factors.

Teaching Materials

Books and reports on complex IT systems, and on specific techniques. The aim will be to expose students to a wide range of ideas, so a wide range of material will be made available.

There is a wide range of other resources, e.g.:

• The Challenges of Complex IT Projects, Royal Academy of Engineering and British Computer Society, 2004, available from http://www.raeng.org.uk/news/attach/215.pdf
  
• Evolutionary Project Management and Product Development, T Gilb, available from http://www.result-planning.com/

Recommended Books

Last updated: 20^th April 2012