Software process white box modelling for FEAST/1

This paper describes a high-level system dynamics model of a real-world sof tware evolution process. This process is implementing embedded software ele ments of a defence system composed of hardware and software components. The model is one of the outputs of the FEAST/1 project, which is investigating the role and effect of feedback in the global software process. The simple feedback-based model, which has resulted from a top to down modelling appr oach, demonstrates the influence of the global process on the evolution of the software specification and implementation. Model outputs closely simula te actual and expected metrics for the real-world project. It is concluded inter alia that feedback external to a software production process may sign ificantly influence that process. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.