The Role of Software Failure Modes and Effects Analysis for Interfaces in Safety-and Mission-Critical Systems

Complex systems are often developed by independent design teams whose boundaries are defined by interface design documents. Software interface documents, in particular, can be incomplete and ambiguous without anyone realizing it. Such weaknesses can lead to inadequate and incomplete testing prior to system integration, prolonged integration problems, and expensive last-minute design changes. Additionally, interface design problems may result in system-level performance issues and inadequate robustness. An important line of defense against interface errors and ambiguities in a safety- or mission-critical system is a software failure mode and effects analysis (SFMEA). This paper explains SFMEA and its use to help identify and correct interface problems.