Basic HTML Version
30
7.
COMPUTER HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE
7.1.
General Procedures
Computer software and computer hardware configurations used in MERC must be
installed/tested/used/maintained/controlled/documented to meet BWTS testing' requirements and will
conform to this quality policy and applicable consensus standards and/or data management criteria.
Hardware and software capability needs are assessed during the planning process, and specific needs are
defined in the QAPP and/or Test Plan. The selection and use of hardware and software must conform to
the requirements of UMD. At the program level, MERC does not expect to develop software. Software
that may be developed in support of specific BWTS testing will follow procedures specified in the MERC
QMP (this document).
In general, it is the responsibility of the individual MERC Partner Laboratories to maintain computer
hardware and software utilized for MERC. The following are the MERC procedures which ensure that
each Partner organization controls the quality of all computer hardware/software configurations for the
program:
•
the MERC Director and the senior researcher at each MERC Partner institution discuss and agree
upon the computer hardware and software requirements for the program and/or for specific
test/QA plans;
•
once decisions are finalized, the MERC Partner organization supplies evidence of meeting all
requirements before data collection, reduction, or validation procedures begins;
•
for new software developed for BWTS testing, the MERC Partner organization tests all
applications and configurations using a test data set or by running a shakedown test of the system
to ensure all applications/configurations are operating to specifications. The MERC Partner
organization must show evidence of a system to maintain, control, and document such software
and hardware configurations. This includes, but is not exclusive of: resources to correct any
hardware/software failure with minimal downtime to the program, tracking upgrades/revisions to
software or configuration changes, documenting software names, versions, and copyright dates,
and complete documentation of the code. Complete documentation of code includes the written
code with comments structured in a modular form.
7.2.
Hardware
Computer hardware will be maintained to manufacturers’ standards and upgraded as needed to improve
performance and provide complete compatibility with current standards or program requirements. The
decision to upgrade computer hardware is based on an assessment of test needs, current capabilities, and
the impact or upgrading hardware on data accessibility.
7.3.
Software
Each computer at MERC is set up with standard complement of software. The need for other, specialized
software to support a BWTS test will be identified in the QAPP and/or Test Plan. Most software used at
MERC is acquired commercially, loaded, and tested as specified by the publisher. Software used for data
management activities may include Microsoft Excel, Access, FileMaker, MATLAB and/or CAD.
Standard word processing software (e.g. Word and Adobe) is used to create reports. MERC uses software
patch management and software version upgrade processes to ensure that the baseline software is kept up-
to-date with the latest security patches and upgrades.