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1 – 10 of over 143000
Article
Publication date: 25 January 2008

Nesar Ahmad, M.U. Bokhari, S.M.K. Quadri and M.G.M. Khan

The purpose of this research is to incorporate the exponentiated Weibull testingeffort functions into software reliability modeling and to estimate the optimal software release…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to incorporate the exponentiated Weibull testingeffort functions into software reliability modeling and to estimate the optimal software release time.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper suggests a software reliability growth model based on the non‐homogeneous Poisson process (NHPP) which incorporates the exponentiated Weibull (EW) testingefforts.

Findings

Experimental results on actual data from three software projects are compared with other existing models which reveal that the proposed software reliability growth model with EW testingeffort is wider and effective SRGM.

Research limitations/implications

This paper presents a SRGM using a constant error detection rate per unit testingeffort.

Practical implications

Software reliability growth model is one of the fundamental techniques to assess software reliability quantitatively. The results obtained in this paper will be useful during the software testing process.

Originality/value

The present scheme has a flexible structure and may cover many of the earlier results on software reliability growth modeling. In general, this paper also provides a framework in which many software reliability growth models can be described.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 25 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 February 2020

Vijay Kumar and Ramita Sahni

The use of software is overpowering our modern society. Advancement in technology is directly proportional to an increase in user demand which further leads to an increase in the…

Abstract

Purpose

The use of software is overpowering our modern society. Advancement in technology is directly proportional to an increase in user demand which further leads to an increase in the burden on software firms to develop high-quality and reliable software. To meet the demands, software firms need to upgrade existing versions. The upgrade process of software may lead to additional faults in successive versions of the software. The faults that remain undetected in the previous version are passed on to the new release. As this process is complicated and time-consuming, it is important for firms to allocate resources optimally during the testing phase of software development life cycle (SDLC). Resource allocation task becomes more challenging when the testing is carried out in a dynamic nature.

Design/methodology/approach

The model presented in this paper explains the methodology to estimate the testing efforts in a dynamic environment with the assumption that debugging cost corresponding to each release follows learning curve phenomenon. We have used optimal control theoretic approach to find the optimal policies and genetic algorithm to estimate the testing effort. Further, numerical illustration has been given to validate the applicability of the proposed model using a real-life software failure data set.

Findings

The paper yields several substantive insights for software managers. The study shows that estimated testing efforts as well as the faults detected for both the releases are closer to the real data set.

Originality /value

We have proposed a dynamic resource allocation model for multirelease of software with the objective to minimize the total testing cost using the flexible software reliability growth model (SRGM).

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 37 no. 6/7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 November 2021

Saurabh Panwar, Vivek Kumar, P.K. Kapur and Ompal Singh

Software testing is needed to produce extremely reliable software products. A crucial decision problem that the software developer encounters is to ascertain when to terminate the…

Abstract

Purpose

Software testing is needed to produce extremely reliable software products. A crucial decision problem that the software developer encounters is to ascertain when to terminate the testing process and when to release the software system in the market. With the growing need to deliver quality software, the critical assessment of reliability, cost of testing and release time strategy is requisite for project managers. This study seeks to examine the reliability of the software system by proposing a generalized testing coverage-based software reliability growth model (SRGM) that incorporates the effect of testing efforts and change point. Moreover, the strategic software time-to-market policy based on costreliability criteria is suggested.

Design/methodology/approach

The fault detection process is modeled as a composite function of testing coverage, testing efforts and the continuation time of the testing process. Also, to assimilate factual scenarios, the current research exhibits the influence of software users refer as reporters in the fault detection process. Thus, this study models the reliability growth phenomenon by integrating the number of reporters and the number of instructions executed in the field environment. Besides, it is presumed that the managers release the software early to capture maximum market share and continue the testing process for an added period in the user environment. The multiattribute utility theory (MAUT) is applied to solve the optimization model with release time and testing termination time as two decision variables.

Findings

The practical applicability and performance of the proposed methodology are demonstrated through real-life software failure data. The findings of the empirical analysis have shown the superiority of the present study as compared to conventional approaches.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt to assimilate testing coverage phenomenon in joint optimization of software time to market and testing duration.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 39 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 January 2010

N. Ahmad, M.G.M. Khan and L.S. Rafi

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how to incorporate the exponentiated Weibull (EW) testingeffort function (TEF) into inflection S‐shaped software reliability growth…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how to incorporate the exponentiated Weibull (EW) testingeffort function (TEF) into inflection S‐shaped software reliability growth models (SRGMs) based on non‐homogeneous Poisson process (NHPP). The aim is also to present a more flexible SRGM with imperfect debugging.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews the EW TEFs and discusses inflection S‐shaped SRGM with EW testingeffort to get a better description of the software fault detection phenomenon. The SRGM parameters are estimated by weighted least square estimation (WLSE) and maximum‐likelihood estimation (MLE) methods. Furthermore, the proposed models are also discussed under imperfect debugging environment.

Findings

Experimental results from three actual data applications are analyzed and compared with the other existing models. The findings reveal that the proposed SRGM has better performance and prediction capability. Results also confirm that the EW TEF is suitable for incorporating into inflection S‐shaped NHPP growth models.

Research limitations/implications

This paper presents the WLSE results with equal weight. Future research may be carried out for unequal weights.

Practical implications

Software reliability modeling and estimation are a major concern in the software development process, particularly during the software testing phase, as unreliable software can cause a failure in the computer system that can be hazardous. The results obtained in this paper may facilitate the software engineers, scientists, and managers in improving the software testing process.

Originality/value

The proposed SRGM has a flexible structure and may capture features of both exponential and S‐shaped NHPP growth models for failure phenomenon.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 27 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 March 2009

N. Ahmad, M.G.M. Khan, S.M.K. Quadri and M. Kumar

The purpose of this research paper is to discuss a software reliability growth model (SRGM) based on the non‐homogeneous Poisson process which incorporates the Burr type X testing

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research paper is to discuss a software reliability growth model (SRGM) based on the non‐homogeneous Poisson process which incorporates the Burr type X testingeffort function (TEF), and to determine the optimal release‐time based on cost‐reliability criteria.

Design/methodology/approach

It is shown that the Burr type X TEF can be expressed as a software development/testingeffort consumption curve. Weighted least squares estimation method is proposed to estimate the TEF parameters. The SRGM parameters are estimated by the maximum likelihood estimation method. The standard errors and confidence intervals of SRGM parameters are also obtained. Furthermore, the optimal release‐time determination based on cost‐reliability criteria has been discussed within the framework.

Findings

The performance of the proposed SRGM is demonstrated by using actual data sets from three software projects. Results are compared with other traditional SRGMs to show that the proposed model has a fairly better prediction capability and that the Burr type X TEF is suitable for incorporating into software reliability modelling. Results also reveal that the SRGM with Burr type X TEF can estimate the number of initial faults better than that of other traditional SRGMs.

Research limitations/implications

The paper presents the estimation method with equal weight. Future research may include extending the present study to unequal weight.

Practical implications

The new SRGM may be useful in detecting more faults that are difficult to find during regular testing, and in assisting software engineers to improve their software development process.

Originality/value

The incorporated TEF is flexible and can be used to describe the actual expenditure patterns more faithfully during software development.

Details

Journal of Modelling in Management, vol. 4 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-5664

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 April 2019

Brant Mock and James T. O’Connor

The purpose of this study is to discover which solution strategies to common industrial commissioning and startup (CSU) problems (Hot Spots) owner and contractor organizations…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to discover which solution strategies to common industrial commissioning and startup (CSU) problems (Hot Spots) owner and contractor organizations identify as most effective and to identify which strategies are identified by one or both organization types.

Design/methodology/approach

Ratings for the relative value provided by strategies, and the effort required to implement strategies were solicited from CSU industry experts employed by owner or contractor organizations via a survey. Quantitative modelling using the Possible, Implement, Challenge, Kill (PICK) chart method distinguished high-value, low-effort strategies from other strategies.

Findings

Owners and contractors identify distinct sets of CSU solution strategies as high value and low effort, with some overlap. Of 178 total strategies, 40 (22.5 per cent) were identified by owners and 34 (19.1 per cent) by contractors, with 19 (10.7 per cent) of those strategies in common. Strategies with the greatest differences in opinions between owners and contractors are also identified.

Research limitations/implications

Research findings are limited to industrial-type, operational systems-intensive facilities. Similarities may exist with other systems-intensive project types, such as some commercial or infrastructure projects. The survey sample size is relatively small (n = 35), but close to that of other CSU-related surveys. The majority of survey participants were based in North America at the time of participation. Further, the number of contractor and owner participants differed slightly.

Practical implications

CSU managers and personnel should consider using high-value, low-effort strategies before resorting to other less effective strategies, as applicable on their projects. Depending on which organization is executing CSU, or if both organization types share CSU responsibilities, different solution strategies may be most effective.

Originality/value

Differences in owner and contractor perspectives and opinions have been noted in other aspects of the project lifecycle but never for CSU solution strategies. Use of the strategies identified will support more effective CSU execution.

Details

Construction Innovation , vol. 19 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 5 April 2023

Tomás Lopes and Sérgio Guerreiro

Testing business processes is crucial to assess the compliance of business process models with requirements. Automating this task optimizes testing efforts and reduces human error…

2303

Abstract

Purpose

Testing business processes is crucial to assess the compliance of business process models with requirements. Automating this task optimizes testing efforts and reduces human error while also providing improvement insights for the business process modeling activity. The primary purposes of this paper are to conduct a literature review of Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) testing and formal verification and to propose the Business Process Evaluation and Research Framework for Enhancement and Continuous Testing (bPERFECT) framework, which aims to guide business process testing (BPT) research and implementation. Secondary objectives include (1) eliciting the existing types of testing, (2) evaluating their impact on efficiency and (3) assessing the formal verification techniques that complement testing.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used is based on Kitchenham's (2004) original procedures for conducting systematic literature reviews.

Findings

Results of this study indicate that three distinct business process model testing types can be found in the literature: black/gray-box, regression and integration. Testing and verification approaches differ in aspects such as awareness of test data, coverage criteria and auxiliary representations used. However, most solutions pose notable hindrances, such as BPMN element limitations, that lead to limited practicality.

Research limitations/implications

The databases selected in the review protocol may have excluded relevant studies on this topic. More databases and gray literature could also be considered for inclusion in this review.

Originality/value

Three main originality aspects are identified in this study as follows: (1) the classification of process model testing types, (2) the future trends foreseen for BPMN model testing and verification and (3) the bPERFECT framework for testing business processes.

Details

Business Process Management Journal, vol. 29 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-7154

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 13 November 2018

Qamar Naith and Fabio Ciravegna

This paper aims to support small mobile application development teams or companies performing testing on a large variety of operating systems versions and mobile devices to ensure…

2570

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to support small mobile application development teams or companies performing testing on a large variety of operating systems versions and mobile devices to ensure their seamless working.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes a “hybrid crowdsourcing” method that leverages the power of public crowd testers. This leads to generating a novel crowdtesting workflow Developer/Tester- Crowdtesting (DT-CT) that focuses on developers and crowd testers as key elements in the testing process without the need for intermediate as managers or leaders. This workflow has been used in a novel crowdtesting platform (AskCrowd2Test). This platform enables testing the compatibility of mobile devices and applications at two different levels, high-level (device characteristics) or low-level (code). Additionally, a “crowd-powered knowledge base” has been developed that stores testing results, relevant issues and their solutions.

Findings

The comparison of the presented DT-CT workflow with the common and most recent crowdtesting workflows showed that DT-CT may positively impact the testing process by reducing time-consuming and budget spend because of the direct interaction of developers and crowd testers.

Originality/value

To authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to propose crowdtesting workflow based on developers and public crowd testers without crowd managers or leaders, which light the beacon for the future research in this field. Additionally, this work is the first that authorizes crowd testers with a limited level of experience to participate in the testing process, which helps in studying the behaviors and interaction of end-users with apps and obtains more concrete results.

Article
Publication date: 1 April 1990

Gilbert Arbez

The objective of OSI conformance testing is to provide a standardized and rigorous means of determining the extent to which a specific implementation conforms to an OSI protocol…

Abstract

The objective of OSI conformance testing is to provide a standardized and rigorous means of determining the extent to which a specific implementation conforms to an OSI protocol specification. As part of its ILL Implementation Program, the National Library of Canada has developed a test system and service for the interlibrary loan (ILL) protocol using the ISO standard methodology for conformance testing (ISO 9656). Development of test suites, conformance testing tools, and conformance testing services are presented. The article also discusses related topics such as interoperability testing, arbitration testing, and international harmonization of conformance testing.

Details

Library Hi Tech, vol. 8 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0737-8831

Article
Publication date: 30 October 2019

Vibha Verma, Sameer Anand and Anu Gupta Aggarwal

The purpose of this paper is to identify and quantify the key components of the overall cost of software development when warranty coverage is given by a developer. Also, the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and quantify the key components of the overall cost of software development when warranty coverage is given by a developer. Also, the authors have studied the impact of imperfect debugging on the optimal release time, warranty policy and development cost which signifies that it is important for the developers to control the parameters that cause a sharp increase in cost.

Design/methodology/approach

An optimization problem is formulated to minimize software development cost by considering imperfect fault removal process, faults generation at a constant rate and an environmental factor to differentiate the operational phase from the testing phase. Another optimization problem under perfect debugging conditions, i.e. without error generation is constructed for comparison. These optimization models are solved in MATLAB, and their solutions provide insights to the degree of impact of imperfect debugging on the optimal policies with respect to software release time and warranty time.

Findings

A real-life fault data set of Radar System is used to study the impact of various cost factors via sensitivity analysis on release and warranty policy. If firms tend to provide warranty for a longer period of time, then they may have to bear losses due to increased debugging cost with more number of failures occurring during the warrantied time but if the warranty is not provided for sufficient time it may not act as sufficient hedge during field failures.

Originality/value

Every firm is fighting to remain in the competition and expand market share by offering the latest technology-based products, using innovative marketing strategies. Warranty is one such strategic tool to promote the product among masses and develop a sense of quality in the user’s mind. In this paper, the failures encountered during development and after software release are considered to model the failure process.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 37 no. 9/10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 143000