3.1.2 When Requirements are not isomorphic to COTS Functionality: ‘Dormant Code’ within a COTS product

Ideally, there should always be an isomorphic mapping between the collection of requirements (system, software, etc.) and the collection of software which is intended to satisfy those requirements. This would normally always be the case with custom developed software. But with the increased use of various types of Non-Development Items (NDI) (e.g. COTS, GOTS, Reusable code, GFE), there is an increasing possibility that such NDI will include functionality for which there is no requirement. This non-required or non-specified type of software functionality will be referred to as Dormant Code (DC). This paper will focus on issues and problems caused by DC and will offer some approaches to address these issues.