software verification & software validation

Software verification

Software verification is a process used to check whether a software system meets specified requirements. It involves a set of activities that ensure the software correctly implements the intended functionality, and it doesn’t contain any bugs or errors.

Verification activities might include a variety of tasks, such as:

• Static analysis: Examining the program’s code to check for errors, usually with the help of tools that automatically parse and analyze the code.

• Formal verification: Using mathematical methods to prove or disprove the correctness of a system with respect to a certain formal specification or property. This can involve techniques like model checking, theorem proving, and symbolic execution.

• Peer review: Having other software developers review the code to look for potential issues.

• Testing: Running the program with various inputs to check if it produces the expected outputs.

The ultimate goal of software verification is to improve the quality and reliability of a software system by detecting and eliminating errors before the software goes into production.

It’s worth noting that software verification is often paired with software validation. While verification checks that the product has been designed to deliver the right system (the product is “built right”), validation checks that the right product has been designed (the product is the “right product”).

Software validation

Software validation is the process of evaluating software during or at the end of the development process to determine whether it satisfies the specified requirements. That is, software validation ensures that the system accomplishes what it’s intended to do.

The term is often used in contrast with software verification. While software verification checks that the product is “built right” (meaning, it works correctly according to its specifications), software validation checks that it’s the “right product” (meaning, it meets the user’s needs and requirements).

Validation activities involve actual testing and take place after the software has been implemented. These activities can include:

1. Unit Testing: Testing individual components of the software to validate that each performs as designed.

2. Integration Testing: Testing combined parts of an application to determine if they function correctly together.

3. System Testing: Testing a complete system to evaluate the system’s compliance with the specified requirements.

4. User Acceptance Testing (UAT): A process to obtain confirmation by a subject-matter expert (often a client or end user) that the system meets mutually agreed-upon requirements.

These validation steps ensure that the software accomplishes its intended purpose in the real world, aligns with the user expectations, and is ready to be delivered or deployed to the market.