The measurement and management of software reliability

The theme of this paper is the field of software reliability measurement and its applications. Needs for and potential uses of software reliability measurement are discussed. Software reliability and hardware reliability are compared, and some basic software reliability concepts are outlined. A brief summary of the major steps in the history and evolution of the field is presented. Two of the leading software reliability models are described in some detail. The topics of combinations of software (and hardware) components and availability are discussed briefly. The paper concludes with an analysis of the current state of the art and a description of further research needs.