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System Testing - Emergent Behavior

publish date: 2026/06/19 10:51:12.426673 UTC

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A development team integrates an encryption module with a mobile device sync module. During system testing, they discover the system correctly enforces that records must always be encrypted before syncing to a mobile device - a behavior not present in either module alone. They also find that occasionally a sync operation corrupts a record if interrupted mid-transfer. Which statement correctly describes these two findings?

Both are unplanned emergent behaviors that indicate serious design flaws

Both are planned emergent behaviors that the system architecture intended

The corruption is planned behavior for interrupted transfers; the encryption enforcement is a bug

The encryption enforcement is planned emergent behavior; the corruption is unplanned emergent behavior that tests must check for

Correct Answer

The encryption enforcement is planned emergent behavior; the corruption is unplanned emergent behavior that tests must check for

Explanation

Planned emergent behavior arises from intentional design of component interactions - the encryption requirement emerges from combining the encryption and sync modules as designed. Unplanned emergent behavior is unexpected and unwanted - record corruption from interrupted transfers is a defect only visible when the two modules interact under certain conditions. System tests must check for both types.

Reference

Software Engineering, Ian Sommerville, 10th edition

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