No one needs DOD-STD-2167A's CSCs and CSUs
Lewis Gray · 1993
Thk paper defends the claim that there is no management or technical need for military software development contracts to design or present software using Computer Software Components (CSCS) and Computer Software Units (CSUS) as required by DOD-STD-2167A, except to satisfy the requirements in the standard.The paper argues also that current requirements to document CSCS and CSUS are major cost drivers.Some of the arguments in the paper are of generat software engineering interest.Atso, developers assigned to projects that must comply with DOD-STD-2167A may find the arguments helpful in defining the proper role of CSCS and CSUS under their contract.However, the main reason for the paper is to establish the case for one side of a little-known, important debate.The debate is about whether CSCS and CSUS should appear in MIL-STD-SDD (atso known as MIL-STD498) which is planned to supersede DOD-STD-2167A before the summer of 1994.The latest draft of the new standard, dated December 22, 1992, has no requirements for CSCS and CSUS.Unknown to most milhsry software engineers and managers, some of the people who conceived CSCS and CSUS in the early eighties are attempting through industry-Govemment channels to write them into the new standard.If CSCS and CSUS are not needed by anyone as the paper agues, then there is no need for them to appear in the new standard.If they are major cost drivers also, as the paper argues, then there is a good reason to ensure that they aren't incorporated into the new standmd.