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Automated Verification and Validation for Distributed Testing
Navy SBIR 2016.1 - Topic N161-043 NAVSEA - Mr. Dean Putnam - [email protected] Opens: January 11, 2016 - Closes: February 17, 2016 N161-043 TITLE: Automated Verification and Validation for Distributed Testing TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PEO IWS 5, Undersea Warfare Systems The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 5.4.c.(8) of the solicitation. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws. OBJECTIVE: Develop an innovative testing framework for automated Verification and Validation to support distributed system testing between the AN/SQQ-89 Undersea Warfare Combat System and Aegis Weapons System (AWS). DESCRIPTION: The Navy needs to implement Automated Verification and Validation (V&V) to support distributed testing between AN/SQQ-89 Undersea Warfare Combat System, Aegis Weapons System (AWS), and other Combat System (C/S) elements. Current capabilities do not support distributed testing with stand-alone or wrap-around simulation and stimulation (SIM/STIM) tools. This topic will increase V&V coverage and reduce the 18-month average lag time between software baseline freeze and combat systems certification to 12 months. The primary bottleneck in Navy element and C/S certification is availability of subject matter expert (SME) manpower to investigate tough cognitive issues encountered during V&V. The reason for the manpower bottleneck is that a significant amount of SME labor is expended in sites planning of stand-alone SIM/STIM tools and repetitive regression testing. Several case studies (Ref. 1, 2, and 3) suggest automated V&V tools would significantly eliminate the manpower bottleneck for testing real time complex systems. The use of automated V&V tools will reduce manpower to the minimal amount required to set-up and maintain testing. An innovative technology will reduce life cycle costs through improved V&V coverage and improved SME availability for tough cognitive troubleshooting issues during developmental test and evaluation. Automated V&V will reduce post-fielding operations and support costs by reducing the number of software and hardware defects delivered with the end product. Automated V&V also allows more efficient use of manpower by reducing SME time expended in both sites planning and repetitive testing. The needed technology will create an innovative and automated external interface testing (EIT) framework for automated V&V including diagnostics, data recording, analysis tools, and automated reporting. The new tool will apply to the following interfaces: track management (including fire control and track reporting), sensor interfaces (including radar), and future capabilities. It is imperative that this Automated V&V system be compatible with existing Aegis baselines (e.g., 5.3.9, 6.3 with and without ALIS, and 7.2) and have the ability to adapt as C/S elements are modernized. This topic will reduce the 18-month lag time from software freeze to actual fielding, and simultaneously increase V&V coverage with significantly less resources than traditional methods. The Navy would greatly benefit from being able to collect Objective Quality Evidence (OQE) for element and C/S certification using a distributed engineering test bed with automated V&V tools. The desire is to enhance performance of increasingly complex Navy combat systems by ensuring stability, robustness, and survivability prior to fielding. The goal of this topic will be use of automated V&V technology for distributed engineering test and verification. Automated testing must at a minimum be applicable to the following C/S states and modes: tactical (real-time), test (built-in self-diagnostics), and training (synthetic SIM and STIM). Additionally, the distributed combat system test bed must faithfully replicate the shipboard configuration needed for logical testing of C/S elements and provide the capability for network sensitivity analysis to evaluate the stability, robustness, and survivability of the entire combat system prior to certification. Finally, a complete solution will include the ability to provide objective quality evidence (OQE) for Element certification, C/S certification, and eventually Warfare System certification that culminates with testimony to readiness for at-sea testing, as required in the C5ISR Modernization Policy (COMUSFLTFORCOM/COMPACFLT 4720.3b) (Ref. 4). PHASE I: In Phase I, companies will develop a conceptual framework for automated external interface testing (EIT) of SQQ-89 for tactical, test, and training states and modes of the combat system. Feasibility will be demonstrated with a prototype test tool design capable of external interface testing between SQQ-89 and Aegis Weapon System via an existing Distributed Research and Engineering Network data link infrastructure. The Phase I Option, if awarded would include the initial layout and capabilities description to build the unit in Phase II. PHASE II: Based on the results of Phase I and the Phase II Statement of Work (SOW), the company will build an automated V&V test tool prototype to include network diagnostic tools, data recording, and automated analysis and reporting. The Phase II developed prototype will be used to conduct an automated V&V demonstration with SQQ-89 and Aegis weapon system over an existing data link infrastructure between developer sites. A prototype V&V test tool will be delivered at the end of Phase II. The company will develop a Phase III plan for transition. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: If Phase II is successful, the company will be expected to support the Navy in transitioning the technology in Phase III, with the addition of a testing framework to collect OQE for SQQ-89 element and Aegis C/S certifications using a distributed engineering test bed. Phase III transition is intended to fill a critical gap in Research Development Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) across the entire surface ship distributed engineering plant, which spans both industry development and Navy certification sites (connected by data link). This automated testing platform could be used in commercial application, such as testing large quantities of a product or automated testing on software integration. It is applicable to any highly complex, highly survivable system or systems with real-time operation requirement (Commercial and Government). REFERENCES: 1. Innovative Defense Technologies. "Case Study: Automation for Shipboard Network Interface Test Procedures." (31JUL2013). http://idtus.com/blog/automation-for-shipboard-network-interface-test-procedures/, retrieved Mar 31, 2015. 2. Burton, Simon. Clark, John. Galloway, Andy. McDermid, John. "Automated V&V for high integrity systems, a targeted formal methods approach." In C. Michael Holloway, editor, Proceedings of the 5th NASA Langley Formal Methods Workshop (Lfm 2000), number NASA/CP-2000-210100 in NASA Conference Publications, pp 129-140, 2000. Available online at: http://www.systematic-testing.com/documents/NASALangley.pdf, retrieved Apr 9, 2015. 3. Lockheed Martin. "Run-time Environment and Design Application for Polymorphous Technology Verification and Validation (READAPT V&V)" (2 Apr 2002), available online at: http://www.atl.lmco.com/projects/readapt/Reports/CDRL/PCA_READAPT_Avionics_VV_Req.pd 4. "COMUSFLTFORCOM/COMPACFLT 4720.3b, C5ISR Modernization Policy" (Feb 2012 publication date) 15 Apr 2015. http://dtic.mil/descriptivesum/Y2013/Navy/stamped/0603582N_4_PB_2013.pdf KEYWORDS: Automated V&V; Combat Systems certification; V&V Coverage; V&V Throughput; Objective Quality Evidence (OQE); External Interface Testing (EIT) TPOC-1: Ryan Moore Phone: 401-832-3751 Email: [email protected] TPOC-2: Meg Stout Phone: 202-781-4233 Email: [email protected] Questions may also be submitted through DoD SBIR/STTR SITIS website.
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