computer science

MIL-STD-498

MIL-STD-498 is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand MIL-STD-498 rather than just read about it. In short: MIL-STD-498, Military Standard Software Development and Documentation, was a United States military standard whose purpose was to "establish uniform requirements for software development and documentation." It was released Nov. 8, 1994, and replaced DOD-STD-2167A, DOD-STD-2168, DOD-STD-7935A, and DOD-STD-1703. It was meant as an interim standard, to be in effect for about two years until a commercial standard was de…

Key takeaways

MIL-STD-498 belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect MIL-STD-498 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of MIL-STD-498 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

MIL-STD-498, Military Standard Software Development and Documentation, was a United States military standard whose purpose was to "establish uniform requirements for software development and documentation." It was released Nov. 8, 1994, and replaced DOD-STD-2167A, DOD-STD-2168, DOD-STD-7935A, and DOD-STD-1703. It was meant as an interim standard, to be in effect for about two years until a commercial standard was developed. Unlike previous efforts like the seminal DOD-STD-2167A which was mainly focused on the risky new area of software development, MIL-STD-498 was the first attempt at comprehensive description of the systems development life-cycle. MIL-STD-498 was the baseline for industry standards (e.g. IEEE 828-2012, IEEE 12207 ) that followed it. It also contains much of the material that the subsequent professionalization of project management covered in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). The document "MIL-STD-498 Overview and Tailoring Guidebook" is 98 pages. The "MIL-STD-498 Application and Reference Guidebook" is 516 pages. Associated to these were document templates, or Data Item Descriptions, described below, bringing documentation and process order that could scale to projects of the size humans were then conducting (aircraft, battleships, canals, dams, factories, satellites, submarines, etcetera). It was one of the few military standards that survived the "Perry Memo", then U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry's 1994 memorandum commanding the discontinuation of defense standards. However, it was canceled on May 27, 1998, and replaced by the essentially identical demilitarized version EIA J-STD-016 as a process example guide for IEEE 12207. Several programs outside of the U.S. military continued to use the standard due to familiarity and perceived advantages over alternative standards, such as free availability of the standards documents and presence of process detail including contractually-usable data item descriptions. In military airborne software, MIL-STD-498 was gradually eclipsed by civilian airborne software guidance at the time, that is, RTCA DO-178B.

Data item descriptions MIL-STD-498 standard describes the development and documentation in terms of 22 data item descriptions (DIDs), which were standardized documents for recording the results of each the development and support processes, for example, the software design description DID was the standard format for the results of the software design process. Each DID generically describes the required content of a data item, a file or document that describes the system or some aspect of the system life cycle. These documents could take many forms, from source code, to installation scripts, to various electronic and paper reports, and the government contracting party is encouraged to specify acceptable formats. Any software development project (effort) was expected to make selections from the 22 possible documents and list the selections in the contract data requirements list (CDRL) form within the Uniform Contract Format. A CDRL lists the data items which are to be produced and delivered by a contractor as part of that contract. Any data item description is tailored for a specific contract, meaning sections in the standard DID which are not desired for that contract will be identified in the section of the CDRL form provided for that purpose. Exactly which DIDs and what parts of the DIDs are required for a particular system depends on the nature of the project and how parts of it are being produced by contract(s). The DIDs are:

Plans Software development plan (SDP) - A plan for performing the software development Software installation plan (SIP) - A plan for installing the software at user sites Software transition plan (STrP) - A plan for transitioning to the support agency

Concept/requirements Operational concept description (OCD) - The operational concept for the system System/subsystem specification (SSS) - The requirements to be met by the system Software requirements specification (SRS) - The requirements to be met by a computer software configuration item (CSCI) Interface requirements specification (IRS) - The requirements for one or more interfaces

Design System/subsystem design description (SSDD) - The design of the system Software design description (SDD) - The design of a CSCI Database design description (DBDD) - The design of a database Interface design description (IDD) - The design of one or more interfaces

Qualification test products Software test plan (STP) - A plan for conducting qualification testing Software test description (STD) - Test cases/procedures for qualification testing Software test report (STR) - Test results of qualification testing

User/operator manuals Software user manual (SUM) - Instructions for hands-on users of the software Software input/output manual (SIOM) - Instructions for users of a batch or interactive software system that is installed in a computer center Software center operator manual (SCOM) - Instructions for operators of a batch or interactive software system that is installed in a computer center Computer operation manual (COM) - Instructions for operating a computer

Support manuals Computer programming manual (CPM) - Instructions for programming a computer Firmware support manual (FSM) - Instructions for programming firmware devices

Software product definition Software product specification (SPS) - The executable software, the source files, and information to be used for support Software version description (SVD) - A list of delivered files and related information

External links "MIL-STD-498 PDF Roadmap, documents types mentioned in order or life-cycle use" (PDF). "Abelia example DID, System/Subsystem Specification as used in MIL-STD-498" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-09-26. "Software Standards Evolution and Current State" (PDF). CrossTalk. Dec 1999. "DOD-STD-2167 DEFENSE SYSTEM SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT". 1994-12-05. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-08-06. "MIL-STD-498, SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AND DOCUMENTATION" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. 1994-12-05. "MIL-STD-498, OVERVIEW AND TAILORING GUIDEBOOK" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. 1996-01-31. "MIL-STD-498, APPLICATION AND REFERENCE GUIDEBOOK" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. 1996-01-31. "MIL-STD-498, APPLICATION AND REFERENCE GUIDEBOOK (section 5)" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. 1996-01-31.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with MIL-STD-498

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what MIL-STD-498 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to MIL-STD-498 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about MIL-STD-498 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of MIL-STD-498

In research: MIL-STD-498 appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses MIL-STD-498 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: MIL-STD-498 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics MIlitary software, Military of the United States standards, Software development, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for MIL-STD-498 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study MIL-STD-498 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what MIL-STD-498 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain MIL-STD-498 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is MIL-STD-498 in simple terms?

Why does MIL-STD-498 matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study MIL-STD-498?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on MIL-STD-498.