Towards a conceptual framework of software run reliability modeling

Abstract Bearing in mind that discrete time is only a kind of time measure used in reliability engineering, in this paper, we try to develop a conceptual framework for discrete-time software reliability modeling, which may resemble or be parallel to continuous-time software reliability modeling. By conceptual framework, we mean basic notions and basic methodologies. We present basic notions of discrete-time software reliability modeling and distinguish two types of software run reliability data. We propose three methodologies, i.e., probabilistic, Bayesian and fuzzy, and various corresponding models. However there is no intention to show a specific methodology or a specific model is superior to another. We only show how to use a specific methodology or a specific model to deal with software run reliability data. In this paper, we also discuss how to characterize relationships among operational profiles, discrete-time software reliability behavior and continuous-time software reliability behavior, and propose a simple mathematical model for the relationships.

[1]  William H Farr.  A Survey of Software Reliability Modeling and Estimation , 1983 .

[2]  Kai-Yuan Cai,et al.  A critical review on software reliability modeling , 1991 .

[3]  Kai-Yuan Cai,et al.  On estimating the number of defects remaining in software , 1998, J. Syst. Softw..

[4]  J. Bowles,et al.  Application of fuzzy logic to reliability engineering , 1995, Proc. IEEE.

[5]  Cai Kaiyuan,et al.  Fuzzy variables as a basis for a theory of fuzzy reliability in the possibility context , 1991 .

[6]  Daniel P. Siewiorek,et al.  Workload, Performance, and Reliability of Digital Computing Systems. , 1980 .

[7]  Kai-Yuan Cai,et al.  System failure engineering and fuzzy methodology An introductory overview , 1996, Fuzzy Sets Syst..

[8]  John D. Musa,et al.  The operational profile in software reliability engineering: an overview , 1992, [1992] Proceedings Third International Symposium on Software Reliability Engineering.

[9]  H. Zimmermann,et al.  Fuzzy Set Theory and Its Applications , 1993 .

[10]  Glenn Shafer,et al.  A Mathematical Theory of Evidence , 2020, A Mathematical Theory of Evidence.

[11]  John D. Musa,et al.  Software reliability - measurement, prediction, application , 1987, McGraw-Hill series in software engineering and technology.

[12]  Michael R. Lyu,et al.  Applying reliability models more effectively (software) , 1992, IEEE Software.

[13]  Kai-Yuan Cai,et al.  A novel approach to software reliability modeling , 1993 .

[14]  Sarah Brocklehurst,et al.  New Ways to Get Accurate Reliability Measures , 1992, IEEE Softw..

[15]  L. Darrell Whitley,et al.  Prediction of Software Reliability Using Connectionist Models , 1992, IEEE Trans. Software Eng..

[16]  Jean-Claude Laprie.  For a product-in-a-process approach to software reliability evaluation , 1992, [1992] Proceedings Third International Symposium on Software Reliability Engineering.

[17]  Z. Jelinski,et al.  Software reliability Research , 1972, Statistical Computer Performance Evaluation.

[18]  Ravishankar K. Iyer,et al.  Effect of System Workload on Operating System Reliability: A Study on IBM 3081 , 1985, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering.

[19]  Kai-Yuan Cai,et al.  Introduction to Fuzzy Reliability , 1996 .

[20]  Kai-Yuan Cai,et al.  Software Defect and Operational Profile Modeling , 1998, The Kluwer International Series in Software Engineering.

[21]  L. Zadeh.  Fuzzy sets as a basis for a theory of possibility , 1999 .

[22]  Giuseppe Serazzi,et al.  Workload characterization: a survey , 1993, Proc. IEEE.

[23]  Bev Littlewood,et al.  A Bayesian Reliability Growth Model for Computer Software , 1973 .

[24]  Shigeru Yamada,et al.  Software reliability growth modeling with number of test runs , 1984 .

[25]  P. Garrone,et al.  Some new models of software testing with performance comparisons , 1991 .

[26]  H. Martz.  Bayesian reliability analysis , 1982 .

[27]  Elaine J. Weyuker,et al.  An Extended Domain-Bases Model of Software Reliability , 1988, IEEE Trans. Software Eng..

[28]  F.-W. Scholz,et al.  Software reliability modeling and analysis , 1986, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering.

[29]  A.A. Salvia,et al.  On Discrete Hazard Functions , 1982, IEEE Transactions on Reliability.

[30]  Shigeru Yamada,et al.  S-Shaped Reliability Growth Modeling for Software Error Detection , 1983, IEEE Transactions on Reliability.

[31]  H. B. Chenoweth.  Reliability prediction, in the conceptual phase, of a processor system with its embedded software , 1991, Annual Reliability and Maintainability Symposium. 1991 Proceedings.

[32]  Bev Littlewood,et al.  Validation of ultrahigh dependability for software-based systems , 1993, CACM.

[33]  J. M. Finkelstein.  A Logarithmic Reliability-Growth Model for Single-Mission Systems , 1983, IEEE Transactions on Reliability.

[34]  Peng Lu,et al.  Test-Execution-Based Reliability Measurement and Modeling for Large Commercial Software , 1995, IEEE Trans. Software Eng..

[35]  Simon P. Wilson,et al.  Software Reliability Modeling , 1994 .

[36]  Thomas Downs,et al.  An Approach to the Modeling of Software Testing with Some Applications , 1985, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering.

[37]  Douglas R. Miller,et al.  On the use and the performance of software reliability growth models , 1991 .

[38]  Joe W. Duran,et al.  Quantifying Software Validity by Sampling , 1980, IEEE Transactions on Reliability.

[39]  Kai-Yuan Cai,et al.  Fuzzy states as a basis for a theory of fuzzy reliability , 1993 .

[40]  Karama Kanoun,et al.  The discrete time hyperexponential model for software reliability growth evaluation , 1992, [1992] Proceedings Third International Symposium on Software Reliability Engineering.

[41]  Ming Zhao,et al.  ON SOME RELIABILITY GROWTH MODELS WITH SIMPLE GRAPHICAL INTERPRETATIONS , 1993 .

[42]  Simeon C. Ntafos,et al.  On Some Reliability Estimation Problems in Random and Partition Testing , 1993, IEEE Trans. Software Eng..

[43]  C. V. Ramamoorthy,et al.  Software Reliability—Status and Perspectives , 1982, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering.

[44]  Eldred Nelson,et al.  Estimating software reliability from test data , 1978 .

[45]  Thomas Downs.  Extensions to an approach to the modeling of software testing with some performance comparisons , 1986, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering.

[46]  George J. Schick,et al.  An Analysis of Competing Software Reliability Models , 1978, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering.

[47]  Kai-Yuan Cai,et al.  Censored software-reliability models , 1997 .

[48]  Attila Csenki.  Bayes predictive analysis of a fundamental software reliability model , 1990 .

[49]  J. R. Brown,et al.  Testing for software reliability , 1975 .

[50]  Bev Littlewood,et al.  A Bayesian modification to the Jelinski-Moranda software reliability growth model , 1987 .

[51]  Jeff Tian,et al.  Integrating Time Domain and Input Domain Analyses of Software Reliability Using Tree-Based Models , 1995, IEEE Trans. Software Eng..

[52]  Norman F. Schneidewind.  Analysis of error processes in computer software , 1975 .

[53]  Ariela Sofer,et al.  A nonparametric software-reliability growth model , 1991 .

[54]  Bev Littlewood,et al.  A Bayesian modification to the Jelinski-Moranda software reliability growth model , 1987, Softw. Eng. J..