A case history analysis of software error cause-effect relationships

Author

Nakajo, Takeshi ; Kume, Hitoshi

Author_Institution

Fac. of Eng., Tokyo Univ., Japan

Volume

17

Issue

8

fYear

1991

fDate

8/1/1991 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

830

Lastpage

838

Abstract

Approximately 700 errors in four commercial measuring-control software products were analyzed, and the cause-effect relationships of errors occurring during software development were identified. The analysis method used defined appropriate observation points along the path leading from cause to effect of a software error and gathered the corresponding data by analyzing each error using fault tree analysis. Each observation point´s data were categorized, and the relationships between two adjoining points were summarized using a cross-indexing table. Four major error-occurrence mechanisms were identified; two are related to hardware and software interface specification misunderstandings, while the other two are related to system and module function misunderstandings. The effects of structured analysis and structured design methods on software errors were evaluated

Keywords

computerised control; failure analysis; software reliability; structured programming; system recovery; systems analysis; case history analysis; cause-effect relationships; commercial measuring-control software products; cross-indexing table; error-occurrence mechanisms; fault tree analysis; module function misunderstandings; observation points; software development; software error; software interface specification misunderstandings; structured analysis; structured design methods; Cause effect analysis; Computer aided software engineering; Computer errors; Data analysis; Error analysis; History; Humans; Marine vehicles; Programming; US Department of Transportation;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Software Engineering, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0098-5589

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/32.83917

Filename

83917