I found this in this morning's comp.risks digest. I found it a
splendid example of why you should go ahead and get that comp-2 skill
level instead of trusting the manufacturer...
: Date: Mon, 30 Sep 91 12:10:51 PDT
: From: [email removed] (David Bremner)
: Subject: Space Station Software Hubris
:
: In the Fall 1991 issue of Graduate Computerworld ( A free publication
: consisting of promo articles on prospective employers ), there is an
: interview with Julius Gabriel, manager of software engineering at Spar
: Aerospace.
:
: Spar is doing the software for the Mobile Servicing Station; essentially a
: mobile version of the Canada-Arm. Gabriel notes that "The entire space
: station will be highly computerized, with a software program in excess of
: 10 million lines of code". Apparently the MSS will be a rather small
: fraction of the whole, about "half a million lines of code".
:
: Master of understatement, Gabriel notes that "Once its up there it's
: difficult to fix the software". The article notes that "Naturally, the
: entire software process adheres to rigorous standards such as the military
: 2167A standard". Gabriel makes some good points about the importance of
: software development methodology, but what worries me is the attitude
: that writing ( working ! ) 10 million line programs is a solved problem,
: that all we have to do is use Ada (TM AJPO) and mil-std 2167A, and
: everything will work fine.
: David
:
: References: Page 14, Fall 1991 _Graduate Computer World_
: [email removed] [email removed]
- --
Richard Johnson [email removed] [email removed]
Sic gloria mundi.