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TestAuto2 uses two distinct link roles to implement ISO 26262 V-model traceability:
Link RoleDirectionPurpose
verifiesTest Case → System/Subsystem/Design RequirementConfirms the system was built correctly (verification)
validatesTest Case → Customer RequirementConfirms the right system was built (validation)
Verification tests target technical requirements (system, subsystem, design), while validation tests target user needs (customer requirements). This distinction is critical for ISO 26262 Part 4 compliance.
The most efficient way to establish test-to-requirement links is directly within PowerSheet configurations:

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1. Open the Appropriate Verification Sheet

Navigate to Testing Space → select the verification sheet matching your requirement level:
  • System Verification Sheet — for System Requirements
  • Subsystem Verification Sheet — for Subsystem Requirements
  • Design Verification Sheet — for Design Requirements
  • User Need Validation Sheet — for Customer Requirements
  1. Locate the requirement row you need to verify
  2. Click into the Verification Test Case column (orange header)
  3. Either:
    • Select existing test case: Type test case ID and press Enter
    • Create new test case: Click the ➕ icon to open entity factory
The entity factory automatically creates the test case in the correct module and establishes the link.
Verify that your PowerSheet configuration includes the correct entityFactory.modulePath. For system verification, this should be Testing/SystemVerificationSpecification. Incorrect module paths will create test cases in the wrong location.

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3. Add Multiple Test Cases

For requirements needing comprehensive verification coverage:
  1. In the test case column, enter multiple test case IDs separated by spaces
  2. Press Enter to commit all links simultaneously
  3. Each test case appears as a separate sub-row when the relationship expands
If you prefer to work from the test case side:

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1. Open the Test Case

Navigate to Testing Space → open the test case document → click the test case ID.
  1. Scroll to the Links section
  2. Click Add Link
  3. Select link role:
    • verifies for system/subsystem/design requirements
    • validates for customer requirements
  4. Enter the requirement ID or use the picker to browse
  5. Click Add
Polarion automatically creates the reverse link. When you add TestCase-123 verifies SysReq-456, Polarion also creates SysReq-456 is verified by TestCase-123. You only need to create the link once from either side.

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Verify Traceability Coverage

After establishing links, confirm coverage using dashboard metrics:

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1. Check Coverage Bars

Navigate to Testing Space home dashboard and review: 
System Requirements Verification Coverage
█████████████░░░ 87% (152 of 175 verified)
[Show gaps]
Click Show gaps to see the Lucene query identifying unlinked requirements: 
type:sysReq AND NOT backlinkedWorkItems:verifies=TA*

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2. Review Coverage in Verification PowerSheet

Open the verification PowerSheet and:
  1. Look for requirements with empty test case columns (coverage gaps)
  2. Use the Document Grouping feature to organize by source specification
  3. Apply the built-in Summary View to focus on ID/Title only and quickly spot gaps

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Common Traceability Patterns

diagram
Never use the verifies link role for customer requirements — this violates the V-model. Customer requirements must use validates. Support tickets show this is a common mistake when users manually create links outside PowerSheet.

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Verification with External Evidence

For validation test cases that require external evidence (test reports, measurement data):
  1. Open the User Need Validation Sheet
  2. Expand the Validation Evidence column (red header)
  3. Click to attach external references
  4. The evidence appears in the external references expansion path
This creates the chain: Customer Requirement ← validates ← Validation Test Case → externalReferences → Evidence

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Verification Step

You should now see:
  • Non-empty test case columns in verification PowerSheets for linked requirements
  • Coverage percentage increasing on Testing Space dashboard
  • Gap query results decreasing when you run the unlinked requirements query
  • Bi-directional links visible from both requirement and test case work items

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See Also