Defect		 A defect is a product anomaly, or flaw. Defects include such things as omissions and imperfections found
during early lifecycle phases, and or symptoms (flaws) of faults contained in software that is sufficiently mature
for test or operation. Defects may also include deviations from expectation or any kind of issue that is to be tracked and resolved.
Worker: Integration Tester, System Tester, Performance Tester
Reports: Test Evaluation Reports

Purpose To top of page

The purpose of the Defect is to communicate  the details  of the issue, enabling corrective action, resolution, and tracking to occur. The following people use the test scripts:

  • The Integration Tester, System Tester, and Performance Tester, to identify and describe the defect.
  • The Implementer,  to analyze the defect and find the faults or causes of the defect.
  • The Test Designer,  to analyze a collection of defects to measure the quality of the software and process.

Brief Outline To top of page

1.    Description

A brief text description of the defect.

2.    Priority

An identification of the repair priority for this defect.

3.    Severity

An identification of the affect this defect has upon the application or its use.

4.    Origin Data

Information regarding how the defect was discovered, including the test environment and tester.

5.    Status

An identifier indicating the current state of the defect, such as open, fixed, or closed.

6.    Resolution

Information regarding how the defect was resolved, including what changes were necessary, what software was changed, and who resolved it.

Timing To top of page

The main source of defects is the results of executing the tests (integration, system, and performance). However, defects can appear at any
point during the software development lifecycle and include the identification of missing or incomplete use cases, test cases,
or documentation.

Responsibility To top of page

The Originator of the defect is responsible for the integrity of the defect, ensuring that:

  • All the information identifying the defect, describing it, and how it was discovered is accurate.
  • The defect is unique or is not another occurrence of an already identified defect.

Tailoring To top of page

The actual fields / data necessary to accurately identify, describe, and track defects vary and are dependent upon the standards, guidelines, and change control system implemented.

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© Rational Software Corporation 1998 Rational Unified Process 5.1 (build 43)