A Standard Organization for Specifying Abstract Interfaces for the SMMS (Secure Military Message System) Application
Abstract
One of the goals of NRL's Secure Military Message System (SMMS) project is to demonstrate the feasibility of applying advanced software engineering techniques to multi-level secure data base systems to provide increased assurance and to simplify maintenance. To demonstrate these principles, software for a multi-level secure, fully-functional military message system is being designed and implemented. The project is producing a set of model procedures and documents that can be followed by designers and producers of other such systems. this document describes the format to be followed in documenting abstract interfaces of the software modules. An abstract interface is a software module interface that will remain unchanged even when details of the software implementation change; specifying such interfaces is a key to building easy-to-change software systems. The format described in this report is designed to serve the author who designs a module, the coder who implements it, designers of other modules that must make use of it, and reviewers who must approve its design. The format is also intended to aid reviewers in assessing whether a module satisfies its abstract interface specification, thus meeting its security requirements. It organizes the specifications into a small number of concise, well-defined sections, allowing readers who are searching for a particular kind of information to know where to look. (RH)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 20, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA213136
Entities
People
- Alan R. Bull
- Alexandra L. Evans
- Jean T. Quinn
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory