Software Reliability

Computer software reliability has never been so important. Computers are used in areas as diverse as air traffic control, nuclear reactors, real-time military, industrial process control, security system control, biometric scan-systems, automotive, mechanical and safety control, and hospital patient monitoring systems. Many of these applications require critical functionality as software applications increase in size and complexity. This book is an introduction to software reliability engineering and a survey of the state-of-the-art techniques, methodologies and tools used to assess the reliability of software and combined software-hardware systems. Current research results are reported and future directions are signposted. This text will interest: graduate students as a course textbook introducing reliability engineering software; reliability engineers as a broad, up-to-date survey of the field; and researchers and lecturers in universities and research institutions as a one-volume reference.

Deals constructively with recognized software problems. Focuses on the unreliability of computer programs and offers state-of-the-art solutions. Covers—software development, software testing, structured programming, composite design, language design, proofs of program correctness, and mathematical reliability models. Written in an informal style for anyone whose work is affected by the unreliability of software. Examples illustrate key ideas, over 180 references.

This book presents current methods for dealing with software reliability, illustrating the advantages and disadvantages of each method. The description of the techniques is intended for a non-expert audience with some minimal technical background. It also describes some advanced techniques, aimed at researchers and practitioners in software engineering. This reference will serve as an introduction to formal methods and techniques and will be a source for learning about various ways to enhance software reliability. Various projects and exercises give readers hands-on experience with the various formal methods and tools.

Revised and updated for professional software engineers, systems analysts and project managers, this highly acclaimed book provides key concepts of software reliability and practical solutions for measuring reliability.

Explains how software reliability can be applied to software programs of all sizes, functions and languages, and businesses. This text provides real-life examples from industries such as defence engineering, and finance. It is aimed at software and quality assurance engineers and graduate students.

The reliability of software is becoming increasingly important to a large range of industries that rely on complex computer systems and machinery with computer control. The reliability of a system depends on both the hardware and the software that comprise the system. Although faults in design can continue to give problems, the issues and the techniques for meeting severe reliability requirements in hardware have been understood for some time. In the case of software both the techniques and a positive attitude of software developers to the achievement of reliability are much less well established. They are particularly crucial in the development of software dependent safety-critical systems.

Software Reliability Engineering is the classic guide to this time-saving practice for the software professional. ACM Software Engineering Notes praised it as: " an introductory book, a reference, and an application book all compressed in a single volume The author's experience in reliability engineering is apparent and his expertise is infused in the text." IEEE Computer noted: "Toward software you can depend on This book illustrates the entire SRE process An aid to systems engineers, systems architects, developers, and managers." This Second Edition is thoroughly rewritten for the latest SRE practice, enlarged 50%, and polished by thousands of practitioners. Added workshops help you apply what you learn to your project. Frequently asked questions were doubled to more than 700. The step-by-step process summary, software user manual, list of articles of SRE user experience, glossary, background sections, and exercises are all updated, enhanced, and exhaustively indexed. To see the Table of Contents and other details, click on http://members.aol.com/JohnDMusa/book.htm

The overwhelming majority of a software system’s lifespan is spent in use, not in design or implementation. So, why does conventional wisdom insist that software engineers focus primarily on the design and development of large-scale computing systems? In this collection of essays and articles, key members of Google’s Site Reliability Team explain how and why their commitment to the entire lifecycle has enabled the company to successfully build, deploy, monitor, and maintain some of the largest software systems in the world. You’ll learn the principles and practices that enable Google engineers to make systems more scalable, reliable, and efficient—lessons directly applicable to your organization. This book is divided into four sections: Introduction—Learn what site reliability engineering is and why it differs from conventional IT industry practices Principles—Examine the patterns, behaviors, and areas of concern that influence the work of a site reliability engineer (SRE) Practices—Understand the theory and practice of an SRE’s day-to-day work: building and operating large distributed computing systems Management—Explore Google's best practices for training, communication, and meetings that your organization can use