This part of IEC 60300 gives guidance on specifying the required dependability characteristics in specifications, together with specifications of procedures and criteria for verification and validation.
The guidance provided includes the following:
- advice on specifying quantitative and qualitative reliability, maintainability, availability and maintenance support requirements;
- advice to purchasers of a system on how to ensure that the specified requirements will be fulfilled by suppliers;
- advice to suppliers to help them to meet purchaser requirements.
Other documents, such as legislation and governmental regulation may also place requirements on systems and these should be applied in addition to any specifications derived in accordance with this standard.
NOTE 1 Whilst mainly addressing system and equipment level reliability, many of the techniques described in the different parts of IEC 60300 may also be applied to products, items or at the component level. The term system is used throughout this standard.
NOTE 2 This standard does not give guidance on the management of dependability programmes or on the various activities necessary to fulfil stated availability, reliability, maintainability and maintenance support requirements.
For this general guidance, see other standards.
NOTE 3 Safety and environment specifications are not directly considered in this guide. However, much of the guidance in this standard could also be applied to safety or environmental specification.
NOTE 4 Specifications for the dependability of a service are not considered in this guide. This includes the provision of a service such as those provided through Public-Private Partnership procurements.