Controlling the reliability of software during the O&M phase

Software metrics have been advocated by the software technology community for a number of years. The use of software measurements during software developments has increased and is being recognized as a complementary and effective technique to quality assurance and independent verification and validation organizations. However, there has been rather limited application of this technology during the operation and maintenance phase of a software product's life cycle. In fact, a recent study, conducted under the sponsorship of the National Bureau of Standards Institute of Computer Science and Technology indicates a lack of recognition by maintenance organizations of the benefits of quality assurance or measurement during their activities. The use of software measurements has significant potential in controlling software reliability during operations and maintenance.