White-Box and Black-Box Reliability Modeling Framework: Integration Through Analytical Model and User Profile Validation via Deep Learning — A Practitioner’s Approach

Abstract

Software reliability evaluation of complex systems is always a challenging task with conventional methods comprising both functional as well as nonfunctional aspects of real-world applications. Prevailing model frameworks moreover apply a nonfunctional approach (black-box model) that is modeled on defect data or through a functional approach (white-box model) that uses component or state-based interactions. Also, other challenges involve integrating both approaches, and validating user profiles of software operation. Further, reliability assessment is one among the most important and desirable qualities of service requirements of software systems, particularly in monitoring critical business transactions. Here, we propose a model framework to evaluate the overall reliability estimation involving both functional and nonfunctional model analyses using: (a) white-box assessment based on intercomponent analysis via component-based Cheung’s model and user profile validations with one of the identified deep learning techniques and (b) black-box modeling evaluation via generalized stochastic Petri nets based on orthogonal defect classification. A newly introduced deep learning model using white-box analysis is validated with pertinent usage profiles to establish a new trend in artificial neural networks and as well with software reliability estimation. Additionally, we introduce and present a quantitative technique — analytical hierarchy process — to integrate reliability assessment and provide weights to the white-box and as well for black-box approaches to quantify overall reliability estimation. The proposed framework is illustrated with an application case study.