A Time/Structure Based Model
for Estimating Software
Reliability
Mei-Hwa Chen, Joseph R. Horgan, Aditya P. Mathur and
Vernon J. Rego
ABSTRACT
Estimation of the probability of
software failure during
a specified exposure period, also
known as reliability, has long been
an important subject of research.
Several models for estimating
software reliability exist.
The Goel-Okumoto model and the Musa execution
time model are two well known time-based models.
Common characteristics of time-based
models include neglect of program
structure and use of
time dependent data
in the estimation of software reliability.
In this paper we point out some fundamental
problems with such an approach.
We proposed two distinct approaches to reliability
modeling. The approach described here
leads to a class of models known
as time/structure based models which
extend the existing time-based models
by using the notion of useless testing effort.
The other approach, described elsewhere, is purely
structure based and makes use of the notion
of code coverage and other fault related parameters.
A common characteristic of both
the approaches is that they
incorporate features of testing
e.g. data flow or mutation testing,
during the integration test phase of the software
development cycle. While the
pure structure based approach requires
the use of certain testing methods,
the time/structure based approach
does not. We expect these approaches to lead to
new and novel ways
of estimating software reliability.