Skip to main content

Software Reliability Models and Test Coverage

  • Conference paper
Safe Comp 96

Abstract

In recent works some authors proposed to use measures of test coverage in software reliability estimation. They suggested to use these measures either to improve the predictive accuracy of classical reliability growth models or to provide a direct estimation of reliability. This paper provides a short survey of these approaches and describes a case study aimed at investigating the relation between test coverage and reliability growth. Results of the case study are analysed and used to discuss the validity of the proposed approaches.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. IEEE 982.1–1988, Standard Dictionary of Measures to Produce Reliable Software.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Musa J. D., Iannino A., Okumoto K., Software Reliability - Measurement, Prediction, Application, McGraw-Hill, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bishop P. (ed.), Prediction and measurement of software reliability, Dependability of Critical Computer Systems 3, Elsevier Science Publ., 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Butler R. W., Finelli G. B., The unfeasibility of Experimental Quantification of Life-Critical Software Reliability, Proc. of the ACM SIGSOFT ’91, New Orleans, Louisiana, ACM Press, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Keiller P. A., Miller D. R., On the use and the performance of software reliability growth models, Reliability Eng. and System Safety, 95–117, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Littlewood B., Strigini L., Validation of ultra-high dependability for software-based systems, Communication of the ACM, Vol. 36, No. 11, Nov. 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Lyu M. R., Nikora A., Applying Reliability Models More Effectively, IEEE Software, Vol. 9, no. 4, July 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Lu M., Brocklehurst S., Littlewood B., Combination of Predictions Obtained from Different Software Reliability Growth Models, Proc. of the Tenth Software Reliability Symposium, Storage Tek, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Brocklehurst S., Littlewood B., New Ways to Get Accurate Reliability Measures, IEEE Software, Vol. 9, no. 4, July 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Brocklehurst S., Chan P. Y., Littlewood B., Recalibrating Software Reliability Models, IEEE Trans, on Software Eng., Vol. SE-16, no. 4, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Jone W. B., Defect Level Estimation of Circuit Testing Using Sequential Statistical Analysis, IEEE Trans, on Computer Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems, Vol. 12, No. 2, February 1993, pp. 336–348.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Yu P. S., Krishna C. M., Lee Y. H., An Adaptive Optimisation Model with Applications to Testing, Computer Performance and Reliability, Iazeolla G., Courtois P. J., Boxma O. J. (ed.), Elsevier Science Publishers, 1988, pp. 503–515.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Yu P. S., Krishna C. M., Lee Y. H., Optimal Design and Sequential Testing of VLSI Testing Strategy, IEEE Trans. on Computer, Vol. 37, No. 3, March 1988, pp. 339–347.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. De Grood M. H., Optimal Statistical Decisions, McGraw-Hill, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Fu K. S., Sequential Methods in Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning, Academic, New York, 1968.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  16. Hennell M. A., Testing for the Achievement of Software Reliability, Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Vol. 32, pp. 119–134, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Munson J. C., Khoshgoftaar T. M., The Use of Software Complexity Metrics in Software Reliability Modelling, Proc. of the ISSRE ’91, IEEE Computer Society, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Veevers A., Marshall A. C., A Relationship Between Software Coverage Metrics and Reliability, Software Testing, Verification and Reliability, Vol. 4, 3–8, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Jacoby R., Masuzawa K., Test Coverage Dependent Software Reliability Estimation by the HGD Model, Proc. of the ISSRE ’92, IEEE Computer Society, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Del Frate F., Garg P., Mathur A. P., Pasquini A., On the Correlation between Code Coverage and Software Reliability, Proc. of the ISSRE ’95, IEEE Computer Society, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Piwowarski P., Ohba M., Caruso J., Coverage Measurement Experience During Function Test, Proc. of the ICSE ’93, IEEE Computer Society, 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Malaiya Y. K., Li N., Bieman J., Karcich R., Skibbe B., The Relationship between Test Coverage and Reliability, Proc. of the ISSRE ’94, IEEE Computer Society, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Chen M., Horgan J., Mathur A. P., Rego V., A time/structure based model for estimating software reliability, SERC-TR-117-P, Purdue University, Dec. 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Nelson E., Estimating Software Reliability from Test Data, Microelectronics and Reliability, Vol. 17, Pergamon Press, New York, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Musa J. D., Operational Profiles in Software Reliability Engineering, IEEE Software, Vol. 10, no. 2, March 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Horgan J. R., Mathur A. P., Assessing Tools in Research and Education, IEEE Software, May 192, pp.61–69.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1997 Springer-Verlag London Limited

About this paper

Cite this paper

Ciciani, B., Pasquini, A. (1997). Software Reliability Models and Test Coverage. In: Schoitsch, E. (eds) Safe Comp 96. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-0937-2_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-0937-2_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-76070-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-0937-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics