Lessons learnt from the analysis of large-scale corporate databases

This paper presents the lessons learnt during the analysis of the corporate databases developed by IBM Global Services (Australia). IBM is rated as CMM level 5. Following CMM level 4 and above practices, IBM designed several software metrics databases with associated data collection and reporting systems to manage its corporate goals. However, IBM quality staff believed the data were not as useful as they had expected. NICTA staff undertook a review of IBM's statistical process control procedures and found problems with the databases mainly due to a lack of links between the different data tables. Such problems might be avoided by using M³P variant of the GQM paradigm to define a hierarchy of goals, with project goals at the lowest level, then process goals and corporate goals at the highest level. We propose using E-R models to identify problems with existing databases and to design databases once goals have been defined.