Reliability evaluation of UML/DAM software architectures under parameter uncertainty

Model-based evaluation of software reliability in the architecture design stage helps designers make objective decisions about design trade-offs. A challenging problem is how to deal with uncertainties in model parameters, e.g. usage profile. In this study, an approach based on evidence theory is proposed to handle the uncertainties in model parameters. In this approach, UML is used for modelling software architectures, and the DAM profile is used for specifying reliability parameters in the UML model. The constructed UML/DAM model is transformed to a fault tree to evaluate reliability. A software tool is developed to automate the transformation and evaluation procedures, and a case study is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the method.