A novel approach to system testing and reliability assessment using use case model

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we propose an integrated approach to generate system level test cases and assess reliability of a system. Input to our approach is a use case model of the system under test. We generate test cases after converting a use case model into a testable model. For each test case generated, we then analytically determine its importance to asses the reliability of the system. Existing approaches for reliability assessment are mainly based on usage probability of different user operations invoked by different users. But existing methods have the limitations such as, performance entirely depends on expertise of the system analysts and computation of usage probability of different user operations invoked by different users can not be known for a completely new system or non-existing system. To address these limitations, we propose an analytical technique and also propose a reliability metric to assess the reliability of a system under development

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.4 Software/Program Verification
          Subjects: Reliability

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.4 Software/Program Verification
          Subjects: Validation

General Terms:
Performance, Reliability, Verification

Keywords:
reliability testing, software quality, statistical testing, systems verification and validation, test case generation