Fundamentals of Dependable Computing for Software Engineers

CHAPTER 7        Software Dependability

Learning objectives of this chapter are to understand:

•  The application of fault avoidance and fault elimination in the software lifecycle.

•  The techniques available for avoiding faults in software.

•  The techniques available for eliminating faults in software.

•  Which phases of the software lifecycle tend to introduce the most faults.

•  The best way to approach software dependability.

•  Formal methods and why are they important.

•  How an engineer can be reasonably confident that the various classes of faults that might occur in a system have been dealt with.

7.1 Faults and the Software Lifecycle

Software has been a causal factor in many failures of systems that required high levels of dependability. ...