Software Reliability

and Its Approaches

Under the guidance of
Dr. Seetharam K
Professor, Dept of ISE

Presented by
Shivanand S K
[1st04is038]
Overview
Software Reliability Definition
Keywords
Software Reliability Now !!!!
Software Reliability in différent phases
Current Methods used in Each phase
Conclusion
References
Software Reliability
Definition
 Software reliability is the probability of
failure free operation of an application in a
specified operating environment and time
period
   Reliability  is  one  quality  metric.  Others  include 
performance,  maintainability,  portability,  and 
interoperability
Keywords
 Software Reliability
 Hardware Reliability
 System Reliability
 Stages of SDLC
 Fault
 Failure
 Error
Software Reliability
Now!!!
 Measurement in software is still in its infancy.

 The modeling technique for software reliability is reaching

its prosperity, but before using the technique, we must
carefully select the appropriate model that can best suit
our case.

 No good quantitative methods have been developed to

represent software reliability without excessive limitations.

 Various approaches can be used to improve the reliability

of software, however, it is hard to balance development
time and budget with software reliability.
Software reliability in
different phases
 Concept phase: In the Concept Phase, the
software team should be able to assist in defining system
level reliability and availability.
 
 Manufacturing phase: As the product
transitions to manufacturing, the reliability goals, models
and test results become the basis for refining reliability
screening, monitoring and reporting.

 Prototype phase: Discovering design

weaknesses and verifying achievement of reliability
goals becomes possible with prototypes.
 
Concept Phase
Methods discussed under this phase are:

Reliability Goal Setting

Benchmarking & Gap Analysis
Technology Risk Assessment
Reliability Goal Setting
Definition:
A reliability goal is a specific business target stated as a
quantified performance level.
Objectives:
 Establish clearly stated, measurable, and meaningful reliability
goals
 Convert those goals into reliability activities
 Drive the appropriate behavior across the product team.
 Tracking business objectives enhances the team's ability to
actually meet the objectives.
Methodologies:
 Customer-Specified or Implied Requirements
 Internally Specified or Self-Imposed Requirements
 Benchmarking
Benchmarking & Gap
Analysis
Definition:
Benchmarking is the process of comparing the current project,
methods, or processes with the best practices and using this
information to drive improvement. The Gap Analysis naturally
flows from the Benchmarking Analysis
Objectives:
The objective of Benchmarking is to set appropriate reliability
and quality metrics for your product based on similar products in
your industry.
The objective of a Gap Analysis is to measure the gap between
where you currently are and where you want to be.
Methodologies:
 In Performance Benchmarking,
we focus on elements of technical quality
and reliability as well as features.
 In Process Benchmarking,
we focus on discrete work processes.
Technology Risk
Assessment
Definition:
The identification, categorization and prioritization of
hardware and software threats to achieving key reliability
business objectives
Objectives:
 To identify and establish an action plan to remove uncertainty.
 Reduce Business risks involved.
 Identify significant program risks as early as possible.
Methodologies:
 Through concept reviews and analysis.
 Through workshops with key
designers/suppliers.
 Establish expected performance.
 Identify critical low margin elements.
Manufacturing phase
Methods discussed under this phase are:

Warranty Performance Analysis

Reliability Performance Reporting
End of Life Assesment
Warranty Performance
Analysis

Definition:
Identification and prioritization of warranty performance
tracking and cost reduction opportunities.

Objectives:
 To identify and prioritize the appropriate warranty metrics, goals,
strategies.
 Plan to reduce warranty expenses.
 Perform an in-depth warranty cost analysis.

Methodologies:
Conduct a system analysis of the warranty
program
Reliability Performance
Reporting
Definition:
It is a method of reporting back how we are doing against our
plan.
Objectives:
 Compared Reliability performance results with the Reliability
Program and Integration Plan
 Assessments are made to determine how we are performing
against our goals.
Methodologies:
 Develop Reliability Performance Reports once per month during
the testing
 Then drop down to once per quarter after
the processes have stabilized.
Developed Report consists of:
• Management Summary
• Body of Report
• Outline which parameters to monitor
End of Life Assesment

Definition:
An End-of-Life Assessment consists of
determining when the product or pieces of
the product will start approaching End-of-Life.

Objectives:
We Perform End-of-Life Assessments to
• determine when a product is starting to wear-out.
• monitor preventive maintenance strategy and modify as
needed.

Methodologies:
End-of-Life Prediction: The Reliability Prediction and FMECA
(if performed) shall be reviewed to determine which components
in the system have a dominant wear out mechanism.
End-of-Life Assessment: Field data shall be plotted against
time to determine if the product is approaching wear out. This
shall be compared with the predicted estimate for confidence in
results.
Prototype Phase

Methods discussed:

Highly Accelerated Life Test (HALT)

Design Verification Testing (DVT)
Highly Accelerated Life Test
(HALT)
Definition:
 HALT is primarily a margin discovery process.
 Stimulates product well beyond the expected field
environments
 Determine the operating and destruct limits of the
product.

Objectives:
 We can increase the reliability of a product
 Uncover design weaknesses .
 Expanding its design margins.

Methodologies:
 Planning stage
 Testing and monitoring stage
 Final analysis stage
HALT Chamber
Design Verification Testing
(DVT)
Definition:
 It is to assure that it meets all of its design
specifications.
 Also referred as (V&V) Testing.

Objectives:
 To assure that a product meets all of its specifications b4
delivering the product
Methodologies:
 Start with the design specification document.
 Then write a test plan to test each of the different requirements
called out in the specification document.
 Develop test cases for those as well.
Conclusion
Software Reliability is a key part in software
quality.
But…. if not considered carefully, software
reliability can be the bottleneck of the whole
system.
Software is prone to errors , but there is no way
to prove or create software which we know as a
fact is reliable.
So, choose the model of development which
produces the closest results to our goal.
Even though the cost of using these methods
are high just to overcome the large economic
losses due to system failure, these methods are
References
Software Engineering [Sixth Edition]
By Ian Sommerville
[Basic definitions used in the seminar and understanding of
SDLC]
Software Engineering [Sixth Edition]
By Roger S. Pressman
[Measuring Software reliability and some definitions]
www.openseminar.org
[References of the methods used in each phase or stage is
taken]
Technical paper on reliability
By Jianto Pan
[Reliability importance and some definitions are taken]
You make it,
We’ll break it
Thank You