Software Reliability: Determination and Prediction.

Abstract : This study gives a comprehensive review of software reliability determination and prediction techniques and models. Each technique and model is discussed and evaluated as to its applicability to the software in a real-time, automatic digital flight control system. A total of seven techniques, nine empirical models, and fifteen analytical models are studied. Whenever possible the techniques and models have been applied to real software error data. The report is divided into three sections. Section I discusses software reliability in general and then focuses on each of the techniques and models individually. It provides a preliminary evaluation of each model and partitions out four of the most promising approaches, which are then analyzed more thorougly. Section II addresses the absolute necessity of gathering well documented software error data as well as the problems associated with its collection. It also provides references for a number of software error data sets. Section III includes conclusions relative to the most attractive models, recommendations for the collection of software error data, and suggestions for future study. (Author)