RATS: a software tool to aid the transition from service idea to service implementation

This paper proposes an improved overall development life cycle for telecommunications services. A novel intelligent tool (RATS) is being developed to assist with requirements capture and early analysis, leading to formal specifications of the service at different stages of refinement. Commercial tools are then used for analysis and simulation of these specifications as well as automated test case and code generation. The RATS tool assists by providing facilities for traceability as well as impact analysis of change. It offers active guidance for the requirements development in three dimensions (refinement, formality and completeness) with the help of a semi-formalised negotiation process. The method is illustrated using examples from the UPT service