IBM Rational DOORS (now known as IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS) is a comprehensive requirements management platform designed for complex systems engineering projects in industries like aerospace, automotive, defense, and medical devices. It provides robust tools for capturing, tracing, analyzing, and managing requirements throughout the product lifecycle, ensuring compliance, reducing risks, and facilitating collaboration among distributed teams. Version 9.6, released in 2014, introduced enhancements in usability, integration, and performance, making it a staple for regulated environments requiring traceability and auditability. It supports the DOORS eXtension Language (DXL) for custom scripting and integrates with tools like IBM Rational Team Concert, Rhapsody, and third-party applications via OSLC standards.
Key Features of DOORS 9.6
- Requirements Capture and Traceability: Hierarchical modules for organizing requirements with full bidirectional linking, impact analysis, and suspect link detection to maintain integrity across the lifecycle.
- Collaboration and Review: Built-in review workflows, baselines for version control, and discussion threads for stakeholder feedback; supports role-based access and audit trails.
- Analysis and Reporting: Advanced querying, filtering, and reporting tools, including customizable views, dashboards, and export to formats like Excel, Word, or ReqIF for compliance (e.g., DO-178C, ISO 26262).
- Integration Capabilities: Seamless connectivity with IBM Jazz platform tools; OSLC adapters for linking to Jira, Git, or other ALM systems; DXL scripting for automation.
- Web Access (DOORS Web Access): Browser-based interface for remote access, enabling lightweight editing and viewing without the full client.
- Advanced Modules:
- OSLC Support: Open Services for Lifecycle Collaboration for modern integrations.
- DXL Editor: Integrated development environment for scripting custom behaviors and extensions.
- Requirements Management Framework Add-On: Enhances modularity for large-scale projects.
