ISO/IEC 15289:2006

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 15289
First edition
2006-04-15


Systems and software engineering —
Content of systems and software life
cycle process information products
(Documentation)
Ingénierie des systèmes et du logiciel — Contenu des systèmes et
produits d'information du processus de cycle de vie du logiciel
(documentation)




Reference number
ISO/IEC 15289:2006(E)
©
ISO/IEC 2006

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ISO/IEC 15289:2006(E)
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ISO/IEC 15289:2006(E)
Contents Page
Foreword. vii
Introduction . viii
1 Scope . 1
2 Applicability. 3
3 Conformance. 3
3.1 Definition of Conformance. 3
3.2 Conformance Situations . 4
3.3 Type of Conformance. 4
4 Normative references . 5
5 Terms and definitions. 5
6 Life cycle data and information items . 6
6.1 Life cycle data characteristics. 6
6.2 Records compared to other information items (documents). 6
6.3 Management of life cycle data (records) . 7
6.4 Management of information items (documents) . 7
6.4.1 Developing the documentation plan. 7
6.4.2 Managing and controlling information items. 7
7 Generic information types and information items . 8
7.1 Overview . 8
7.2 Record – generic content guidelines. 8
7.3 Description – generic content guidelines . 9
7.4 Plan – generic content guidelines. 10
7.5 Procedure – generic content guidelines .11
7.6 Report – generic content guidelines. 12
7.7 Request – generic content guidelines. 13
7.8 Specification – generic content guideline. 14
8 Mapping of information items to the life cycle . 14
8.1 Mapping of information items to the system life cycle. 15
8.2 Mapping of information items to the software life cycle . 20
9 Records. 27
9.1 General. 27
9.2 Specific record contents. 27
10 Specific information item (document) contents . 28
10.1 Acceptance plan . 28
10.2 Acceptance procedure . 29
10.3 Acceptance review and testing report. 29
10.4 Acquisition plan . 29
10.5 Acquisition report. 29
10.6 Asset management plan . 29
10.7 Audit acknowledgement report . 30
10.8 Audit report . 30
10.9 Change request. 30
10.10 Configuration management plan. 30
10.11 Configuration management procedures . 31
10.12 Configuration status report . 31
10.13 Contract . 31
10.14 Database design description. 31
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ISO/IEC 15289:2006(E)
10.15 Database detailed design description . 32
10.16 Database test procedure . 32
10.17 Database test report . 32
10.18 Development plan . 32
10.19 Documentation plan. 33
10.20 Domain engineering plan . 33
10.21 Evaluation report. 33
10.22 High-level software design description . 33
10.23 Infrastructure plan . 34
10.24 Installation plan. 34
10.25 Installation report. 34
10.26 Integration and test report . 34
10.27 Interface Description . 35
10.28 Joint review minutes. 35
10.29 Low-level software design description. 35
10.30 Maintenance plan . 35
10.31 Maintenance problem/ modification report . 36
10.32 Maintenance procedures. 36
10.33 Migration plan. 36
10.34 Modification notification report . 36
10.35 Modification requirement report. 37
10.36 Modification test report . 37
10.37 Monitoring and control report. 37
10.38 Operational test procedures . 37
10.39 Operations plan. 37
10.40 Organizational procedures. 38
10.41 Problem report. 38
10.42 Problem resolution procedure. 38
10.43 Process assessment procedure. 39
10.44 Process improvement analysis report. 39
10.45 Product need assessment. 39
10.46 Production plan. 39
10.47 Progress report . 40
10.48 Project management plan . 40
10.49 Proposal. 40
10.50 Qualification test procedure . 41
10.51 Qualification test report. 41
10.52 Quality assurance plan. 41
10.53 Quality management procedures . 41
10.54 Release record . 42
10.55 Request for proposal (RFP) . 42
10.56 Retirement notification report. 42
10.57 Retirement plan . 42
10.58 Reuse plan . 43
10.59 Risk management plan . 43
10.60 Risk management procedures. 43
10.61 Software integration test plan. 43
10.62 Software requirements specification . 44
10.63 Software unit description. 44
10.64 Software unit test plan. 44
10.65 Software unit test procedure . 44
10.66 Software unit test report. 44
10.67 Software user documentation. 45
10.68 Strategic plan. 45
10.69 Supplier selection procedure. 45
10.70 System architecture description . 45
10.71 System description . 46
10.72 System element description . 46
10.73 System life cycle description. 46
10.74 System integration test procedure. 46
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ISO/IEC 15289:2006(E)
10.75 System requirements specification . 47
10.76 Training documentation. 47
10.77 Training plan . 47
10.78 User Documentation. 47
10.79 Validation plan . 48
10.80 Validation test specification . 48
10.81 Validation report . 48
10.82 Verification plan . 48
10.83 Verification report. 48
Annex A (informative) Procedure for identifying information items and their contents . 50
Annex B (Informative) Bibliography . 51
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ISO/IEC 15289:2006(E)
List of Tables
Table 1 – Mapping of ISO/IEC 15288:2002, Clauses to Information Items for Each System Life Cycle
Process .16
Table 2 – Mapping of ISO/IEC 12207 Clauses to Information Items for Each Software Life Cycle Process .21
Table 3 – Record References and Contents.27

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ISO/IEC 15289:2006(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of
ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees
established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC
technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations, governmental
and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work. In the field of information
technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of the joint technical committee is to prepare International Standards. Draft International
Standards adopted by the joint technical committee are circulated to national bodies for voting. Publication as
an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the national bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO/IEC 15289 was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 7, Software and systems engineering.
This International Standard is based on ISO/IEC 12207:1995, with Amendments 1 and 2,
ISO/IEC 15288:2002, and IEEE/EIA 12207.1-1996, Industry implementation of ISO/IEC 12207:1995. The
IEEE Computer Society participated as a liaison organization in the development of this International Standard.
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ISO/IEC 15289:2006(E)
Introduction
This International Standard was developed to assist users of ISO/IEC 15288:2002 or
ISO/IEC 12207:1995/AMD 1:2002/AMD 2, to manage information items as products of the system or software
life cycle processes. In many cases, ISO/IEC 12207:1995 may state that the result of a process must be
documented or may imply the need for a document (or information item). ISO/IEC 12207:1995 clauses often
do not specify the contents of documents. The indicated information items in ISO/IEC 12207:1995 aid in
planning, producing, and evaluating the results of the life-cycle processes. Information items are essential to
preserving what transpired when using system life cycle processes, and may be identified as deliverable
documents.
This International Standard may be used as a conformance or a guidance document for projects and
organizations claiming conformance to ISO/IEC 15288:2002 and/or ISO/IEC 12207:1995 and amendments.
This International Standard’s nomenclature for information items, document titles and contents is informative.
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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/IEC 15289:2006(E)

Systems and software engineering — Content of systems
and software life cycle process information products
(Documentation)
1 Scope
This International Standard assumes an organization is implementing life cycle processes in conformance with
ISO/IEC 15288:2002 or ISO/IEC 12207:1995, with Amendments 1 and 2. ISO/IEC 15288:2002 defines a set
of processes for managing and performing the stages of a systems life cycle. It defines an Information
Management process, but “does not detail documentation in terms of name, format, explicit content, and
recording media” (1.3). ISO/IEC 12207:1995 with AMD 1 and 2, establishes a common framework for software
life cycle processes, and in passing identifies or requires a number of documentation items.
The purpose of this International Standard is to guide users of ISO/IEC 12207:1995 (with Amendments 1 and 2)
and ISO/IEC 15288:2002 in identifying and planning the specific information items to be produced during
systems and software life cycles. As stated in G.5 of IEEE/EIA 12207.0:1996,


The use of the Documentation process should achieve the following objectives:
a) Identify all documents to be produced by the process or project;
b) Specify the content and purpose of all documents and plan and schedule their production;
c) Identify the standards to be applied for development of documents;
d) Develop and publish all documents in accordance with identified standards and in accordance
with nominated plans;
e) Maintain all documents in accordance with specified criteria.



This International Standard identifies the purpose and content of all identified Systems and Software Life
Cycle information items. The information item contents are defined according to generic document types, as
presented in Clause 7, and the specific purpose of the document (Clause 10). The generic document types
(which may be referred to as information item types to conform to [3]) are to be used to identify the information
necessary to support the ISO/IEC 15288:2002 agreement, enterprise, project, and technical processes; and
the ISO/IEC 12207:1995, primary, supporting, and organizational life cycle processes.
This International Standard identifies records and information items based on analysis of references in
ISO/IEC 15288:2002 and ISO/IEC 12207:1995, which in some cases provide partial or complete outlines for
the content of specific documents. However, the requirements for the life-cycle processes do not uniquely and
unambiguously state the requirements for the information items contents or the information needed by a user
of an information item. Moreover, the information from the life-cycle processes may overlap or may be created
and revised at different times. In short, the analyzed references do not result in a logically complete list of
information items. For example, for each life-cycle process, it would be possible to prepare a plan, procedures,
and reports, as well as numerous records, requests, descriptions and specifications. Such an elaboration of a
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ISO/IEC 15289:2006(E)
documentation schema would be more rigorous than specified by either ISO/IEC 15288:2002 or
ISO/IEC 12207:1995. Thus, information items may be combined or subdivided as needed for project or
organizational purposes, as further defined in Clause 2, Applicability, and Clause 3, Conformance.
NOTE ISO/IEC 15504-5 provides guidance on the content of work products as well as information items. Its guidance
includes descriptions of a set of information items (documents), which an assessor may encounter. The information items
in its guidance may be produced by combinations and subdivisions of the required information items in this International
Standard.
This International Standard:
a) Addresses the technical information needed by those involved in ISO/IEC 15288:2002 and
ISO/IEC 12207:1995 (with Amendments 1 and 2) processes;
b) Is intended for use in an agreement process as described in ISO/IEC 15288:2002 or a two-party
situation as described in ISO/IEC 12207:1995. The two-party situation may range from an informal
agreement within an organization or to a legally binding contract between organizations;
c) May be used by a single party as self-imposed tasks;
d) May be applied to any type of project and life-cycle process;
e) May be applied to any of the activities and tasks of a project and system or software product or
service life cycle;
f) Is not limited by size, complexity or criticality of the project;
g) May be applied to all forms of information items, information item content and document delivery
media;
h) May be used for information items described in Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) products when the
COTS product is specified as an integral part of a deliverable under a two-party situation (See
ISO/IEC 12207:1995, clause 1.2).
i) May be used to develop information items that provide evidence for process assessment performed
with respect to ISO/IEC 15504: Process Assessment, and to guide process improvement activities.
Not included in the scope of this International Standard are:
⎯ Information items showing only approval of an ISO/IEC 12207:1995 subclause, such as
ISO/IEC 12207:1995, 5.1.1.3;
⎯ Any ISO/IEC 15288:2002 or ISO/IEC 12207:1995 subclause not explicitly or implicitly identifying the
recording of information about an activity or task, for example, ISO/IEC 12207:1995, 5.1.1.4;
⎯ The form and content of approving information items or organizational management information such as
business strategies, human resources and investment policies, personnel selection criteria, or payroll
data;
⎯ Instructions on combining or subdividing information items and information item contents of a similar
nature;
⎯ Guidance on selecting an appropriate presentation format, delivery media, and maintenance technology
for system and software life cycle data, records, information items, or documentation, such as electronic
publishing systems or data repositories;
NOTE ISO/IEC 18019-2004 provides guidance on formats for softwa
...