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Software Architecture Guide

ISO/IEC 25010 Product Quality Model

Explanation

Section titled “Explanation”

ISO/IEC 25010 belongs to the ISO/IEC 25000 series, called SQuaRE. The series has five divisions. Four of them matter here:

  • 2500n is the quality management division. It defines common models, terms and definitions.
  • 2501n is the quality model division. It presents detailed quality models for computer systems and software products.
  • 2502n is the quality measurement division. It includes a reference model for measuring software product quality.
  • 2503n is the quality requirements division. Its standard, ISO/IEC 25030, helps you specify quality requirements. You can use it to elicit them, which means to gather them from stakeholders.

The 2023 edition of the product quality model has nine quality characteristics. Each characteristic breaks down into subcharacteristics. Some examples:

  • Performance efficiency covers time behaviour, resource utilization and capacity. See Performance Efficiency.
  • Reliability covers faultlessness, availability, fault tolerance and recoverability. Availability means the system is operational and reachable when someone needs it. See Reliability and Availability.
  • Security includes a new subcharacteristic, resistance. It means the system keeps operating while a malicious actor attacks it. See Security and Resistance.

The 2023 edition also split accessibility into inclusivity and user assistance.

A separate standard, ISO/IEC 25019:2023, defines the quality-in-use model. It has three characteristics. People use it to specify, measure, evaluate and improve quality in use. For what changed in 2023, see ISO/IEC 25010:2023 Product Quality Model Revision.

Example

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A team plans an online booking system. They walk through the nine characteristics as a list of questions. For reliability, they ask whether the system must stay reachable when customers need it. For security, they ask whether it must keep running during an attack. Each answer becomes a candidate quality requirement to discuss with stakeholders.

Checks

Section titled “Checks”
  • Quality requirements use the names of the nine characteristics and their subcharacteristics from the 2023 edition.
  • Availability requirements say the system must be operational and accessible when required for use.
  • Security requirements address resistance, meaning continued operation while under attack.
Section titled “Related”

Sources

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