Extension of E(Θ) Metric for Evaluation of Reliability.pdfVIP

Extension of E(Θ) Metric for Evaluation of Reliability Abstract: The calculation of reliability based on running test cases refers to the probability of the software not generating faulty output consequent to the testing process. The metric used to measure this reliability is referred in terms of E(Θ) value. The concept of E(Θ) gives precise formulae to calculate the probability of failure of software after testing, debug or operational. This paper aims at extending the functionalities of E(Θ) into the realm of multiple faults spread across multiple sub-domains. This generalization involves introduction of a new set of formulae for E(Θ) calculation which can account for faults spread over both single as well as multiple sub- domains in a code. The validity of the formulae is verified by matching the obtained theoretical results against the empirical data generated from running a test case simulator. The paper further examines the possibility of an upper bound calculation on the derived formulae and its possible ramifications. Key Words – Reliability, software testing, debugging 1 INTRODUCTION The goals of software testing can be divided into two parts. One part deals with proving the correctness of the software. Another part deals with probing the software for possible faults. The interpretation of the terms “failure set” is open to argument but in this paper we have assumed it to be an input or a sequence of input which result in an unexpected output or “failure”. By unexpected we mean a deviation from the norm. Testing methodologies[1] include two distinct systematic paths of testing. One methodology assumes the presence of hypothetical faults in the software and aims at generating test cases targeting such faults. One of such approaches is ‘boundary testing’. This metho