Traceability
Linking documentation sections to requirements makes it possible to trace the origin of a documentation section, what the section is for, and which requirements it documents. Such a link is called a trace, and the ability to follow the flow of requirements into the documentation is called traceability.
To assess how complete the traceability of the documentation is, use the "Backward Traceability of Documentation" module.
For example, a new Issue can be linked (traced) to a previously implemented Requirement and thus potentially change it. Or a test scenario (test case) can cover (be traceable to) a functional Requirement.
Traces are created automatically while working on project artifacts, for example during the lifecycle of an Enhancement (or a user story). Or traces are set manually.
In the early stages of a project, creating traces manually, for example between Requirements of different levels (types), requires a large amount of manual labor. On the other hand, project documentation changes continuously, which also leads to the need to add or change traces. To save time and reduce the number of errors in this process, ALM implements an automatic tracing mechanism (auto-traces).
Based on the results of the RAG mechanism, ALM performs automatic selection of traces between project artifacts along the key references: Requirements of Issues, test and operational documentation, and so on.
An auto-trace is not set automatically; it requires validation by the user.
When you click the "add" link, the system displays suggestions for creating auto-traces.
In the modules for working with the main project artifacts, the useful modules "Auto-trace for..." are available, where you can see the full picture of ALM's suggestions for auto-traces:
