CSE 8317 (Fall 2006): Software Reliability and Safety
Prof. Jeff Tian, CSE Dept., SMU, Dallas, TX 75275
Phone: (214)768-2861; Fax: (214)768-3085
tian@engr.smu.edu; engr.smu.edu/~tian/class/8317.06f
1. General Information
With the pervasive use of computers and software systems in modern society,
ensuring the reliability and safety of such systems has become
increasingly important.
This advanced course on software reliability and safety engineering
will focus on recent research in the subject area that may have a great
practical impact and that may lead to innovative research.
CSE 8317 will be organized as a research seminar,
with active student participation.
This participatory nature is reflected in all the course elements,
ranging from discussions/presentations related to students homework/project
to specific topics to be studied in our class.
2. Course Contents and Tentative Schedule
We will have in-depth discussions about several important
topics concerning the measurement,
analysis and improvement activities aimed at ensuring
software reliability and safety.
The major focus will be on three areas:
-
Software reliability engineering:
reliability concepts applied to software domain,
software reliability models and analysis methods,
data collection and analysis,
related tools and practices,
and relation to operational profiles and statistical testing techniques.
-
Software safety engineering:
safety concepts applied to computer-intensive systems,
safety and hazard analysis using fault trees and event trees,
integration of safety assurance into the software processes,
formal verification for safety,
and general techniques to deal with safety issues.
-
Common analysis techniques
to support SRE and SSE above will also be discussed at the beginning of
of our class,
including defect analysis, risk identification, as well as general issues
with software measurement and analysis.
For each of the above topics, we will focus particularly on
recent developments in these areas,
and particularly relevant research done at SMU,
including tree-based reliability modeling,
data clustering and censoring techniques,
prescriptive specification checking for hazard prevention,
early estimate and risk management techniques for reliability
and safety improvement,
and new applications of software reliability and safety to
web-based and embedded systems.
For the Fall 2006 Semester class in executive format, we will cover the
topics in the following order:
- Class 1: Overview and quality/defect analyses for SRE/SSE.
- Class 2: SRE.1 and SSE.1; student presentations about defect analysis.
- Class 3: SRE.2 and SSE.2; student presentations about SRE (am) and SSE (pm).
- Class 4: SRE.3 and SSE.3; student presentations about SRE (am) and SSE (pm).
- Class 5: SRE.4 and SSE.4; quiz, and student project presentations.
3. Textbooks and Class Material
4. Workload and Grading
The course grade each student receives will reflect the weighted
average of homework, a major project, a final quiz, and other assignments:
- Project:
See the online project information for more details.
- Homework:
See the online homework assignments.
- Student presentation:
See the online student presentation information
for more details.
- Final Quiz:
There will be a comprehensive final quiz to cover
the breadth of the students' knowledge
in SRE and SSE
(as the students' depth of knowledge is demonstrated in their projects).
The approximate weight assignment is as follows:
-
Project (proposal, report, and presentation): 35%
-
Final quiz: 25%
-
Homework: 15%
-
Presentation/participation: 25%
Notice
(Relevant SMU policies):
* Disability Accommodations:
Students needing academic accommodations for
a disability must first contact Ms. Rebecca Marin, Coordinator,
Services for Students with Disabilities (214-768-4557)
to verify the disability and establish eligibility for accommodations.
They should then schedule an appointment with the professor
to make appropriate arrangements. (See University Policy No. 2.4.)
* Religious Observance: Religiously observant students wishing to be
absent on holidays that require missing class should notify
their professors in writing at the beginning of the semester,
and should discuss with them, in advance, acceptable ways of
making up any work missed because of the absence.
(See University Policy No. 1.9.)
* Excused Absences for University Extracurricular Activities:
Students participating in an officially sanctioned,
scheduled University extracurricular activity should be given
the opportunity to make up class assignments or other graded
assignments missed as a result of their participation.
It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements
with the instructor prior to any missed scheduled examination
or other missed assignment for making up the work.
(University Undergraduate Catalog)
Prepared by Jeff Tian
(tian@engr.smu.edu).
Initially posted: Aug. 18, 2006.
Last update: Aug. 23, 2006.