OpenCert, the base tool in AMASS for management of assurance and compliance

The AMASS consortium has analysed the possible adoption and extension of existing technologies that could allow the project to reach its objectives. Among these technologies, OpenCert has been chosen as main base tool for management of assurance and compliance.

OpenCert corresponds to a PolarSys project that was initially created by members of the OPENCOSS project. OpenCert is a customizable safety assurance and certification tool environment that can be integrated into existing manufacturers’ development and safety assurance processes and tooling. For safety-critical product development, the OpenCert tools support (1) Standards & Regulations Information Management, (2) Assurance “Project” Management, (3) Compliance Management, and (4) Modular and Incremental Certification.

Among the AMASS basic building blocks of the Core Prototype, OpenCert supports evidence management, assurance case specification, and part of the compliance management functionality. The tool allows an assurance manager to characterise assurance evidence and handle its lifecycle. This information can later be used in assurance cases, which in OpenCert are based on the SACM standard and can exploit argument modules and patterns. Regarding compliance management, an assurance manager using OpenCert can specify interpretations of assurance standards, declare and monitor compliance, and analyse the reuse of assurance information between projects.

Extensions and improvements to OpenCert will be made throughout AMASS. OpenCert is also currently the main candidate project to host the AMASS open source community.