Modelling and analysis of software reliability with Burr type X testing‐effort and release‐time determination

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 testing‐effort 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/testing‐effort 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 fair...