Verification and Validation (V&V)
Software verification and validation (V&V) is a technical discipline of systems engineering. The purpose of software V&V is to help the development organization build quality into the software during the software life cycle. V&V processes provide an objective assessment of software products and processes throughout the software life cycle. This assessment demonstrates whether the software requirements and system requirements (i.e., those allocated to software) are correct, complete, accurate, consistent, and testable. The software V&V processes determine whether the development products of a given activity conform to the requirements of that activity, and whether the software satisfies its intended use and user needs. The determination includes assessment, analysis, evaluation, review, inspection, and testing of software products and processes. Software V&V is performed in parallel with software development, not at the conclusion of the development effort.
The verification process provides objective evidence whether the software and its associated products and processes
- Conform to requirements (e.g., for correctness, completeness, consistency, accuracy) for all life cycle activities during each life cycle process (acquisition, supply, development, operation, and maintenance)
- Satisfy standards, practices, and conventions during life cycle processes
- Successfully complete each life cycle activity and satisfy all the criteria for initiating succeeding life cycle activities (e.g., building the software correctly)
The validation process provides evidence whether the software and its associated products and processes
- Satisfy system requirements allocated to software at the end of each life cycle activity
- Solve the right problem (e.g., correctly model physical laws, implement business rules, use the proper system assumptions)
- Satisfy intended use and user needs