Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
8.1
Compliance and Conformance
When using a framework like the ODP reference model, we need to have
ways of assessing whether the interpretation being made is correct. There are
two concepts that can be used here | conformance and compliance. The
distinction depends on whether there needs to be some testing of a physical
product, or whether reasoning about the consistency between two pieces of
specification is enough (see figure 8.1).
Consistency implies
Conformance
Specication
Architecture
Trace
Consistency
implies
Compliance
implement
interpret
.
Design
Implementation
Observations
FIGURE 8.1: Assessing compliance and conformance.
Whenever we take a reference model, such as the RM-ODP, and use it as a
starting point and create either a more detailed framework or a complete de-
sign, we need to check that the result complies with the reference model. The
same is true when we use any other similarly abstract architectural standard.
In effect, this involves looking at the reference model and the new material
together and asking whether they still make sense. A composite model is
formed by tracing every use of a concept back to the corresponding reference
model definition and then doing some logical analysis to see if there are any
contradictions. If there is a contradiction, then the new specification is not
compliant.
The situation with conformance is much more complicated. Here we want
to ask whether some product does what a specification says it should. This
cannot be done by reasoning about descriptions. It requires some kind of
testing .
1
Testing is a process that involves observation of what a system
does; the result of the process is a set of test results | statements of what
was observed | and testing conformance is essentially equivalent to checking
the compliance of the test results to the original specification.
1
Of course, we can only ask questions about conformance if the target specification is
itself consistent.
