Traceability shows the relationship between a software specification, its UML model elements, and its implementation.
Traceability enables you to analyze the impact of changes to specifications, model elements, and implementations. You can clarify the purpose of a UML model element by viewing how it corresponds to a specification of the system. You can analyze traceability reports to identify when the implementation of a specification is not consistent with the planned architecture of the system.
You can trace specifications to verify that all lower-level model elements derive from higher-level specifications, and that all higher-level specifications correspond to lower-level model elements. You can also use traceability as the basis for test planning.
You can create and report traceability links in a single model or between models that are based on the same UML 2.0 metamodel.
In the context of traceability, a specification is a model element that describes functionality that will be implemented. A specification can be either a UML use case, a UML artifact that is a target in a traceability relationship, or a RequisitePro requirement that is linked to a UML model element.
In the context of traceability, an implementation is a model element that implements a particular functionality. An implementation can be a visualized Java™ element or a UML artifact that is a client in a traceability relationship. You can view model elements that do not have a relationship to implementations.