Metrics for Software Adaptability
Nary Subramanian, Lawrence Chung · 2001
Objective measurement of non-functional requirements (NFRs) in any software is one of the most difficult activities. This is because the inherent nature of the NFRs makes their common understanding difficult. The problem is compounded by the fact that the requirements for any software are usually vague about the NFRs that the software should satisfy and how to evaluate the NFRs in the final software. An ideal solution to these problems will be the development and usage of metrics for all NFRs -- this will let the software be checked for the NFRs at all stages of its lifecycle and in case of deviation from the requirements corrective action may be taken. While there are several NFRs such as performance, maintainability, reusability, security, and so on, among the more important of the NFRs is adaptability. Intuitive definition of adaptability is the extent to which a software system adapts to change in its environment. An adaptable software system can tolerate changes in its environment...