REQUIREMENTS
TRACEABILITY
Bi-directional requirements traceability
between requirements and tests
What is Cantata requirements traceability?
Cantata provides full bi-directional traceability relationships between the user’s requirements or test plans and Cantata test scripts and test cases, as required by all the software safety standards.
Requirements traceability applies to many more items in your software development than just Cantata unit and integration tests. That is why Cantata provides added value to your existing traceability mechanism and does not replace it. Cantata Trace automation makes it easier to:
Cantata Trace imports sets of requirements or test plans from popular requirements management tools directly into Cantata. An intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to assign bi-directional trace relationships between requirements and test scripts and/or test cases. All traced information is stored on a central Cantata server. The requirements traceability associations are then exported back to the requirements management tool together with the status of each test and code coverage results.
Which Requirements Tools does Cantata integrate with?
Cantata can be integrated with any tool using a CSV, or ReqIF 1.x (Requirements Interchange Format) interface.
Cantata Trace has been integrated with the popular tools below used for requirements management and traceability. For requirements in text documents (e.g. Microsoft Word®) traceability can be performed using Micosoft Excel® or via tools to export in ReqIF format. If your preferred tool is not already integrated with Cantata Trace, please contact us to arrange an integration.
IBM® Rational® DOORS®
Version 9.6.1.4 and higher using ReqIF import/export
PTC® Integrity™
Version 10.5 and higher using ReqIF import/export
Polarion® ALM™
Version 2016 SR1 onwards using ReqIF import/export
Microsoft® Excel®
Version 15.0 and higher using .xls or .xlsx workbooks
Spreadsheets
Such as Libre Office Calc using CSV UTF-8 files.
intland codeBeamer®
Version CB-8.0.0-RC and higher using ReqIF
What does Cantata Trace help me to do?
COMPLY WITH TRACEABILITY STANDARDS
Bi-directional traceability is required by all major software safety related standards to demonstrate requirements coverage, i.e. that all requirements have associated passing tests for the corresponding code implementation. In the reverse direction, knowing requirements are verified by a given passing test, aids regression test management.
Cantata Trace imports requirements or test plans, provides a drag-and-drop linking with Cantata test, and exports back the links, execution pass/fail status of each test, and levels of code coverage obtain by a script. Cantata Trace makes it simple to provide a fully compliant bi-directional requirements traceability process that fits with your existing tools.
EASY TO USE REQUIREMENTS DRIVEN TESTING
With Cantata Trace you can view your requirements imported directly into the Cantata Eclipse IDE alongside tests, avoiding the need to refer to external documents or access other tools when creating requirements driven tests.
Imported and selected requirements, or test plans, are displayed in a table list for trace association, with each requirements detail (unique ID, requirements text, images and links) available in a built-in HML view.
As test cases are implemented, the requirements which they verify can simply be traced (i.e. associated with) by drag-and-drop in bi-directional views.
FASTER TRACEABILITY FOR EXISTING TESTS
Cantata Trace can be used to assign requirements or test plans to existing Cantata test scripts and test cases, making it faster to generate traceability data and verify that existing tests fully verify all the requirements.
Existing tests to which traceability can be added include:
- Tests created using a previous version of Cantata.
- Tests automatically generated by Cantata AutoTest, which when reviewed satisfy a requirement.
- Tests written by a 3rd party, where requirements traceability was incomplete
- Tests re-used from another tool inside Cantata (e.g. to imported from an open source xUnit tool, or converted from RTRT).
Existing tests can be traced (i.e. associated with requirements or test plans) by drag-and-drop in bi-directional views.
EASY ROUND-TRIP SYNCHRONIZATION WITH REQUIREMENTS MANAGEMENT TOOLS
Importing and exporting data for round trip synchronisation of requirements with tests is done using CSV UTF 8, Microsoft Excel® or ReqIF XML files.
For CSV and Excel, Cantata Trace provides spreadsheet header mappings for External ID, Descriptions and for the various exported results. For ReqIF data interchange, it is a one-time set up of the ReqIF interface in the requirements management tool.
Synchronisation can be done either from the Cantata Trace UI, or scripted via the Cantata server Trace REST API for automation with continuous integration builds.
How does Cantata Trace work?
MANAGING REQUIREMENTS IMPORT
Cantata Trace can import requirements (or test plan information), directly from popular requirements management tools. Sets of requirements data (unique ID, requirements text, images and links) are imported in CSV UTF-8, Microsoft Excel®, or ReqIF formats from a requirement management tool. The data is stored as a non-editable copy on a Cantata server database.
A Requirement Set can be all or a subset of the requirements, named appropriately on import, and users can further filter a set for their own work. Within a data file to be imported, specific Excel Workbook or ReqIF Specifications can also be selected.
The mapping of ID and Description fields for display in Cantata Trace, plus other data for round trip alignment when exporting, can be set up as ReqIF XML specifications or spreadsheet header mappings.
MANAGING CHANGES TO REQUIREMENTS
Whenever a set of requirements is imported, a date stamp is assigned to it. When changes or additions to the requirements are made in the requirements management tool, the updated requirements can simply be re-imported into Cantata. A “Copy Assigns” function retains any existing Cantata associations from a previously imported set.
When trace associations are assigned between requirements and tests, these relationships are automatically stored on the Cantata server, so engineers are able to see in real time all traced associations between the latest requirements and tests.
Cantata Trace provides colour coded visibility of changed requirements since last the last time that a set of requirements was imported. Together with selecting only changed requirements that have changed. This makes it easy to focus tracing on the just changed requirements.
MANAGING REQUIREMENTS EXPORT
Exporting from Cantata Trace is controlled by the Trace Admin functions. The same file formats are supported as for import, and the user can configure what information should be exported and which coverage options are relevant.
Cantata Trace exports the requirements (ID and Description) the traced links between requirements or test plans and Cantata test scripts / test cases, the execution pass/fail status of each test, and levels of code coverage obtain by a test script.
Cantata Trace data can also be exported when required using the GUI, or as an automated script export via the REST API as part of a continuous integration test run.
More information about Cantata Requirements Traceability
For further information about Cantata Trace, upgrading a Cantata version, or integration with specific requirements management tools please contact QA Systems.