4. Multistage Model for Residual Fault Prediction

Software reliability is defined as the probability of failure-free software operation for a specified period of time in a specified environment and is widely recognized as one of the most significant attributes of software quality (Lyu 1996). Over past decades, many software reliability growth models (SRGMs) have been presented to estimate important reliability measures such as the mean time to failure, the number of remaining faults, defect levels, and the failure intensity. Software reliability can be viewed form the two view points—user’s view and developer’s view. From a user’s point of view, software reliability can be defined as the probability of a software system or component to perform its intended function under the specified operating conditions over the specified period of time. From developer’s point of view, the reliability of the system can be measured as the number of residual faults that are likely to be found during testing or operational usage. This study aims to assure software reliability from developer’s point of view.