CSE 8317 (Fall 2008): 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/8317.08f
1. General Information
With the pervasive use of computers and software systems in modern society,
ensuring their reliability and safety has become increasingly important.
This advanced course on software reliability and safety engineering
will focus on recent research and applications in the subject area
that may have a great practical impact and
that may lead to subsequent innovative research.
CSE 8317 will be organized as a research seminar and discussion sessions,
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 and discussed 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 and their application to the software domain,
software reliability models and analysis methods,
data collection and analysis,
related tools and applications in different industries,
and techniques for reliability improvement and optimization.
-
Software safety engineering:
safety concepts and their applications to computer-intensive systems,
system characterization and application domains,
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,
after introducing the fundamental ideas and basic models and techniques,
we will focus 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, embedded, and net-centric systems.
For the Fall 2008 Semester class in executive format, we will cover the
topics in the following order:
- Class 1: Overview and quality/defect/risk analyses for SRE/SSE.
- Class 2: SRE.1 and SSE.1 (basics of SRE and SSE); student presentations about defect analysis.
- Class 3: SRE.2 (TBRMs and integrated SRE) and SSE.2 (Safeware); student presentations about SRE (am) and SSE (pm).
- Class 4: SRE.3 (SRE Models) and SSE.3 (FM for SSE); student presentations about SRE (am) and SSE (pm).
- Class 5: SRE.4 and SSE.4 (recent developments/applications in SRE and SSE); 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 already).
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: July 31, 2008. Last update: Aug. 8, 2008.