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1. Introduction
This topic is intended for anyone who will be planning and performing software assurance activities on NASA projects.
The purpose of the Software Assurance (SA) Tasking Checklist Tool is to streamline the Software Assurance and Software Safety Tasks (a.k.a. SA Tasking) that must be performed on a NASA project. The tool allows the user to tailor the SA Tasking based on the needs of the project via Software Classification, Safety-Criticality, and required Milestones.
The SA Tasking Checklist Tool assists in the planning, execution, and monitoring of the Software Assurance (SA) tasks provided in NASA-STD-8739.8B, mapped to the NPR-7150.2D Software Engineering Requirements. The tool is designed with a user-friendly front end which integrates the engineering, software assurance, and safety requirements across the development life cycle in order to create SA tasking checklists based on milestones to plan and ensure compliance. While the default project information addresses a “typical” development project, the tool is flexible in terms of tailoring the requirements, as well as providing the ability to map the SWE requirements to various milestones for different development life cycles in order to address Center or project-specific attributes. The tool may also be used to capture status when SA activities are performed throughout the development life cycle. The resulting checklist of SA Tasking may be filtered. Monitoring of the resulting SA Tasking may be performed using the generated checklist in the tool. Another option for monitoring is to export the checklist(s) in common formats compatible with other tools including Excel, JIRA, and MS Project (i.e., Excel, CSV, and XML).
The SA Tasking Checklist Tool has a comprehensive Users Guide embedded in the tool to assist the user with tool features and functionality. It also provides instruction on how use the tool to generate a project-specific SA Tasking Checklist.
See also Topic 8.51 - Software Assurance Plan, SWE-022 - Software Assurance.
1.1 History
The SA Tasking Checklist Tool is the product of an FY20 Software Assurance Research Program (SARP) Project, “Software Assurance Tasking Checklists for NASA-STD-8739.8A”.
1.2 Tool Structure
The SA Tasking Checklist Tool consists of three tabs in an Excel workbook.
- SA Checklist Main GUI – This tab allows the user to enter project-specific metadata and select high-level tool configuration options including milestones and tracking.
- Tailoring GUI – This tab allows the user to tailor the requirements and requirements mapping to project milestones.
- Users Guide – This tab provides the user with insight into how to use the tool.
1.3 Tool Location
Click to access the SARP SA Tasking Checklist Tool Version 3.0.xlsm. It is attached to this topic. Note: There seems to be an issue when using Internet Explorer. Please use Chrome, Firefox, or Edge. Be patient, this is a large file and may download slowly.
Always download the Excel file when using the SA Tasking Checklist Tool. This is essential when using O365. O365 renders some Excel features inoperable. If the file is opened and saved, the features will be permanently disabled and not restored the next time it is opened.
If you are on the NASA network, SA Checklist Tool is also available in the SMA Toolbox. See search directions below.
The SA Checklist Tool link takes you to a search page in the SMA Toolbox. If you are requested to log in, select "View" method to get to the search page. To find the SA Checklist Tool easily, search for "SA Checklist Tool". Then scroll down to the results and Download the tool. Whether you get the SA Checklist Tool from the link above or the SMA Toolbox, the usage caution above still applies.
1.4 Additional Guidance
Links to Additional Guidance materials for this subject have been compiled in the Relevant Links table. Click here to see the Additional Guidance in the Resources tab.
2. Resources
2.1 References
- (SWEREF-083) NPR 7150.2D, Effective Date: March 08, 2022, Expiration Date: March 08, 2027 https://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/displayDir.cfm?t=NPR&c=7150&s=2D Contains link to full text copy in PDF format. Search for "SWEREF-083" for links to old NPR7150.2 copies.
- (SWEREF-278) NASA-STD-8739.8B , NASA TECHNICAL STANDARD, Approved 2022-09-08 Superseding "NASA-STD-8739.8A,
The references above are the documents that were used to build the SA Tasking Checklist Tool. These specific versions were sources of the SA Tasking requirements. In addition, this Handbook, NASA-HDBK-2203: Software Engineering Handbook, Rev. B, April 20, 2020, was also used as a reference.
2.2 Tools
NASA users find this in the Tools Library in the Software Processes Across NASA (SPAN) site of the Software Engineering Community in NEN.
The list is informational only and does not represent an “approved tool list”, nor does it represent an endorsement of any particular tool. The purpose is to provide examples of tools being used across the Agency and to help projects and centers decide what tools to consider.
2.2.1 SA Checklist Tool
If you are on the NASA network, SA Checklist Tool is available in the SMA Toolbox. See search directions below.
The SA Checklist Tool link takes you to a search page in the SMA Toolbox. If you are requested to log in, select "View" method to get to the search page. To find the SA Checklist Tool easily, search for "SA Checklist Tool". Then scroll down to the results and Download the tool.
Click to access the SARP SA Tasking Checklist Tool Version 3.0.xlsm. Note: There seems to be an issue when using Internet Explorer. Please use Chrome, Firefox, or Edge. Be patient, this is a large file and may download slowly.
Always download the Excel file when using the SA Tasking Checklist Tool. This is essential when using O365. O365 renders some Excel features inoperable. If the file is opened and saved, the features will be permanently disabled and not restored the next time it is opened.
If you are on the NASA network, SA Checklist Tool is also available in the SMA Toolbox. See search directions below.
The SA Checklist Tool link takes you to a search page in the SMA Toolbox. If you are requested to log in, select "View" method to get to the search page. To find the SA Checklist Tool easily, search for "SA Checklist Tool". Then scroll down to the results and Download the tool. Whether you get the SA Checklist Tool from the link above or the SMA Toolbox, the usage caution above still applies.
2.3 Additional Guidance
Additional guidance related to this requirement may be found in the following materials in this Handbook:
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2.4 Center Process Asset Libraries
SPAN - Software Processes Across NASA
SPAN contains links to Center managed Process Asset Libraries. Consult these Process Asset Libraries (PALs) for Center-specific guidance including processes, forms, checklists, training, and templates related to Software Development. See SPAN in the Software Engineering Community of NEN. Available to NASA only. https://nen.nasa.gov/web/software/wiki 197
See the following link(s) in SPAN for process assets from contributing Centers (NASA Only).
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