Quality Characteristic [Dido Solutions, Inc Wiki]

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====== Quality Characteristic ======

[[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:start|Go up to Terms and Definitions]]

===== Discussion =====

A Quality Characteristic is an [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:e:evaluation_characteristic|Evaluation Characteristic]] concerning the degree to which a subject exhibits a quality property.

A Quality Characteristic can apply to:

  * A [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:c:candidate_solution|Candidate Solution]]
  * A [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:d:distributed_system|Distributed System]]
  * A [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:n:node|Node]]
  * A [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:n:node_set|Node Set]]
  * A [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:t:test_item|Test Item]]
  * A software product
  * A hardware product
  * A service
  * A technology
  * A process
  * A result
  * Another evaluation subject

Quality Characteristics can include:

  * Functional Correctness
  * Performance Efficiency
  * Reliability
  * Operational Stability
  * Security
  * Interoperability
  * Scalability
  * Maintainability
  * Recoverability

A Quality Characteristic can be decomposed into more specific Quality Characteristics or quality subcharacteristics.

A Quality Characteristic can identify:

  * Its identity
  * Its name
  * Its description
  * Its parent Quality Characteristic
  * Its child Quality Characteristics
  * Its evaluation subject
  * Its applicable context
  * Its applicable measures
  * Its applicable measurement methods
  * Its applicable measurement units
  * Its applicable reference values
  * Its applicable DIDO [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:b:baseline|Baselines]]
  * Its applicable [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:v:validation_criteria|Validation Criteria]]
  * Its applicable [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:a:acceptance_criteria|Acceptance Criteria]]
  * Its applicable [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:g:governance_policy|Governance Policies]]
  * Its [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:e:evidence|Evidence]]
  * Its [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:p:provenance|Provenance]]
  * Its [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:t:traceability|Traceability]]

===== Definition =====

//[[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:e:evaluation_characteristic|Evaluation Characteristic]] concerning the degree to which a subject exhibits a quality property//

===== Source =====

Adapted from:

  * [[https://www.iso.org/standard/78176.html|ISO/IEC 25010:2023, Systems and software Quality Requirements and Evaluation (SQuaRE) — Product quality model]]
  * [[https://www.iso.org/standard/78175.html|ISO/IEC 25002:2024, Systems and software Quality Requirements and Evaluation (SQuaRE) — Quality model overview and usage]]
  * [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:e:evaluation_characteristic|Evaluation Characteristic]]
  * DIDO Reference Implementation Conceptual Model
  * DIDO-TE draft Requirements Register

ISO/IEC 25002 describes quality models composed of quality characteristics and subcharacteristics.

ISO/IEC 25010 defines a product-quality model containing characteristics and subcharacteristics applicable to ICT and software products.

This definition places Quality Characteristic within the broader DIDO Evaluation Characteristic model so DIDO-TE can evaluate both quality properties and non-quality characteristics such as cost and resource consumption.

===== Note =====

Every Quality Characteristic is an Evaluation Characteristic. An Evaluation Characteristic is not necessarily a Quality Characteristic.

A Quality Characteristic differs from a measure:

  * A Quality Characteristic identifies the quality property subject to evaluation
  * A measure identifies how a value is assigned to the Quality Characteristic

A Quality Characteristic differs from a quality requirement:

  * A Quality Characteristic identifies a quality property
  * A quality requirement establishes a normative obligation concerning that quality property

A Quality Characteristic differs from a [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:t:test_result|Test Result]]:

  * A Quality Characteristic identifies what is evaluated
  * A Test Result records an outcome produced by [[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:t:test_execution|Test Execution]]

One Test Result can provide information about multiple Quality Characteristics.

Multiple Test Results can contribute to the evaluation of one Quality Characteristic.

A Quality Characteristic does not by itself establish:

  * A required value
  * A minimum value
  * A maximum value
  * A preferred direction
  * A measurement method
  * A permitted tolerance
  * An acceptance threshold

The applicable Acceptance Criteria or Validation Criteria establish those constraints.

A higher numerical value does not necessarily indicate better quality. The interpretation depends on the Quality Characteristic and its applicable measure.

For example:

  * Higher throughput can indicate greater Performance Efficiency
  * Higher response time can indicate lower Performance Efficiency
  * Higher failure frequency can indicate lower Reliability
  * Higher recovery success can indicate greater Recoverability

===== Example =====

A DIDO-TE comparative evaluation selects Reliability as a Quality Characteristic.

The applicable Acceptance Criteria establish:

  * The Candidate Solutions subject to evaluation
  * The workload
  * The Test Environment
  * The duration of the evaluation
  * The failure conditions
  * The Reliability measures
  * The required measurement precision
  * The comparison method

DIDO-TE produces Test Results used to evaluate Reliability for each Candidate Solution.

Reliability identifies the quality property being evaluated. The Test Results contain the observations and measurements used to evaluate it.

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