Towards Continuous Certification of Software Systems for Aerospace
摘要
Safety-critical systems are subject to strict regulation by domain-specific standards and documents. One such example is the DO-178C standard for aerospace, which provides guidance to organizations to ensure system safety and produce the necessary evidence for certification. In these regulated environments, most organizations rely on traditional development processes, unlike the widespread adoption of Agile in the broader software industry. This PhD research is a collaboration between academia and industry, involving the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Porto (FEUP), the University of Coimbra (UC), and Critical Software SA (CSW), as part of the Doctoral Program in Informatics Engineering at FEUP. The study focuses on integrating Agile methods and practices into safety-critical software development for aerospace applications, specifically adhering to the DO-178C standard. The goal is to define a new process that enhances safety-critical software development, moving towards continuous certification of software systems for aerospace. The research aims to establish a quasi-continuous certification process by evaluating new guidelines, practices, and tools, thereby ensuring high-quality and traceable software releases. Preliminary results are promising, as the initial case study involving a real industry project demonstrated positive outcomes using our innovative process. The findings are anticipated to advance the adoption of Agile methods and practices in safety-critical domains.