Effect of Testing Techniques on Software Reliability Estimates Obtained Using A Time-Domain Model


Mei-Hwa Chen, Aditya P. Mathur and Vernon J. Rego

Software Engineering Research Center
Department of Computer Sciences
Purdue University
W. Lafayette, In 47907

Summary and Conclusions


Over the past two decades researchers have proposed several models to estimate reliability of software as testing progresses. Among these, the time-domain models are the most common. Here we present empirical evidence to show that the testing method used does affect the reliability estimates obtained using one of these models, namely Musa's basic execution time model. The evidence presented suggests that reliability models need to take into account additional data, generated during testing, such as some form of code coverage, to obtain accurate reliability estimates. It also suggests that further research is necessary to determine which testing method, or combination thereof, leads to higher reliability.