ODC - Orthogonal Defect Classification

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DCCA-5: Fifth IFIP Working Conference on Dependable Computing for Critical Applications, Sept 1995

Software Triggers as a function of time - ODC on field faults

Ram Chillarege and Kathryn A. Bassin

Center for Software Engineering
IBM TJ Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY
ramchill@watson.ibm.com, (914) 784 7375

Abstract:

The dynamics of software faults becoming failures during the use of a product is one of the least understood aspects regarding software faults today. This paper addresses this problem by analyzing the software triggers that activate faults into failures. The work is conducted on faults experienced by a large operating systems product for two years after release into the field. The results provide some of the first demonstration of the changing trigger distribution as a function of time after release. Specifically, this paper:

1. Defines triggers for the three primary verification activities: software review and inspection, function test and system test.
2. Provides three trigger distributions as a function of time, attributable to escapes to the field from each of the verification activities: review, function test and system test.
3. Illustrates that each trigger peaks at a different time from date of release. This is a key finding with significant implications in several aspects of software dependability and software engineering.

• Introduction
• Software Triggers and ODC
• Trigger Definitions
  • System Test Triggers
  • Review and Inspection Triggers
  • Function Test Triggers
• Results and Discussion
  • General Issues
  • Specific Issues
• Summary
• References
• About this document ...