Software-quality improvement using reliability-growth models

Abstract

In the traditional software development model, the system test phase is the last stage where the reliability, capability, performance and other important dimensions of the quality of a system can be evaluated. During this stage, a point is eventually reached where a decision must be made to either continue or stop testing. This is a crucial task that requires an objective assessment of the benefits and costs associated with each alternative. This paper outlines a methodology that improves the effectiveness of management decisions by providing estimates of the total number of errors to be found through testing, the number of remaining errors, the additional testing time needed to achieve reliability goals and the impact of these parameters on product quality, project cost and project duration.