Effect of testing techniques on software reliability estimates obtained using a time-domain model

Since the early 1970s, researchers have proposed several models to estimate software-reliability as testing progresses. Among these, the time-domain models are the most common. We present empirical evidence to show that the testing method does affect the reliability estimates using one of these models, viz, the Musa basic execution-time model. The evidence suggests that: (1) reliability models need to consider additional data, generated during testing, such as some form of code coverage, to obtain accurate reliability estimates; and (2) further research is necessary to determine which testing method, or combination thereof, leads to higher reliability