CS314: Individual Assignment 1
Software Safety

In class we discussed some examples of disasters and project failures that were caused by "poor" software engineering practices. The goal of this homework is to have you investigate one of them in detail.

Write a report containing the following information:

• (5 points) A description of what happened (i.e., the problems).
• (15 points) An analysis of the software engineering causes of the problems (e.g., poor project management, bad software design, and insufficient testing).
• (4 points) A discussion of the steps that may have prevented the problems from happening.
• (1 point) List of references (at least one).

Your report must contain at least 2 pages but not more than 3 pages. Use 11 pt font size, single-spacing, and 1'' margins at the top, bottom, left, and right. The title must reflect the name of the disaster. Put your name as the author. Print a copy and submit the report at the beginning of class on Sep 4, 2015. Do NOT use Canvas to submit the assignment.

Here are some references to get you started. Feel free to choose other topics and/or references.

• The Role of Software in Spacecraft Accidents, Nancy Leveson. Click here for the paper.
• Medical Devices: The Therac-25, Nancy Leveson. Click here for the paper.
• The London Ambulance Service case study. Click here for more information.