Developing an Innovative Imperfect Debugging Software Reliability Growth Model with Enhanced Testing Coverage Strategies

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce an innovative Software Reliability Growth Model (SRGM) designed to tackle the pivotal challenges associated with software reliability in the contemporary digital landscape, where the prevalence of online systems is ubiquitous. This SRGM integrates Imperfect Debugging (ID), Testing Coverage (TC), Testing Effort (TE), and error generation into a cohesive framework. Employing a sigmoid function to encapsulate TE, it incorporates three distinct TC functions: Delayed S-shaped, Exponential, and Logistic. This model relies on foundational assumptions, including the proportionality of fault detection rates to remaining faults, the introduction of new faults during debugging, and the intricate connection between fault detection and code coverage. The Mean Value Function (MVF) is computed through these differential equations, and the resultant MVFs are systematically tabulated for all models. An examination of the sigmoid TE function and the Weibull TE function across diverse datasets, utilizing a range of goodness-of-fit criteria including Mean Square Error (MSE), Pham’s Criterion (PC), Predictive Risk Ratio (PRR), Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), and Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC), reveals the superior performance of the sigmoid TE function over the Weibull counterpart across various datasets and evaluation criteria. In conclusion, this paper introduces a groundbreaking SRGM that seamlessly integrates ID, TC, and TE, offering valuable insights for assessing software reliability in the dynamic landscape of modern digital systems.