PD-0013: TSF Representations Split Among Documents

This decision represents a long-term technical decision based on an OD, and may not be the same as the final results of the source OD. With respect to published criteria documentation and scheme documents, it provides suggested guidance on evaluation direction, but is not authoritative. Authoritative decisions are provided through the published criteria documents and published scheme and international interpretations thereof. With respect to published PPs, PDs are authoritative corrections to the PP, based on input from the PP author (if available), that are in force until the publication of the next revision of that PP.

Issue

At the EAL 2 level, is it permissible for a TSF representation (e.g., Functional Specification and/or High-Level Design) to be split over multiple documents?

On page 96 of Part 3 of the Common Criteria, there is a discussion of TSF representations. One paragraph states:

Although the requirements within the ASE_TSS family and within several families of this class call for several different TSF representations, it is not absolutely necessary for each and every TSF representation to be in a spearate document. Indeed, it may be the case that a single document meets the documentation requirements for more than one TSF representation, since it is the information about each of these TSF representations that is required, rather than the resulting document structure. In cases where multiple TSF representations are combined within a single document, the developer should indicate which documents meet which requirements.

While this discussion concerns multiple TSF representations in one document, the statement that … it is the information about each of these TSF representations that is required, rather than the resulting document structure… still holds for multiple documents comprising a single TSF representation.

Resolution

The CEM deals with the question of physical document requirements (there are none for form, only for content). In particular, paragraph 36 in the released version of the CEM (CEM Part 2, v1.0), adequately deals with the question:

It is the information contained in the evidence that is required, not any particular document structure. Evidence for a sub-activity may be provided by separate documents, or a single document may satisfy several of the input requirements of a sub-activity.

Modification History:

2004-08-12

Updated effective date to reflect the date the PD was issued. (August 2004 NIB 6.c.xiv)

References:

• None

Related NIs:

• None

Related CCIMB-INTERPs:

• None

Source OD: 0077