CSE 8391: Software Reliability and Safety
(Special Topics course for Spring 1999)
Street address for courier packages is (notices the different zip code):
- 6425 Airline Road, Dallas, Texas 75205
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
an increasingly important issue.
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 at SMU.
CSE 8391/8317 will be organized as a research seminar,
with active student participation.
This course attempts to enhance the advanced research component
in the SMU's software engineering program.
It is particularly suited for students interested in pursuing a Ph.D.
degree in software engineering,
and for MS/SE students who want to get a firsthand knowledge about
some advanced research affecting their field of study.
A related course, CSE 6340 (Advanced Software Engineering),
was taught by Jeff Tian in Spring 1996 and Spring 1997,
covering software reliability engineering and
formal models of software measurement.
Some course material for CSE 6340, Spring 1997
is available online.
The expected frequency of offering is: once every other year on
campus, and once every four years in Richard/Plano.
(The same frequency as for other advanced elective courses in MS/SE program).
2. Course Contents
In this advanced software engineering course,
we will have in-depth discussions about several important
and inter-related 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,
including discussion about reliability concepts applied to software domain,
software reliability models and analysis methods,
related tools and practices,
and use of operational profiles in software reliability engineering;
-
Software safety engineering,
including safety concepts applied to computer-intensive systems,
safety and hazard analysis using fault trees and event trees,
formal verification for safety-critical software systems;
-
Recent developments in these areas,
particularly relevant research done at SMU,
including tree-based reliability modeling,
prescriptive specification checking for hazard prevention,
early measurement and risk management techniques for reliability
and safety improvement.
3. Textbooks and Class Material
The student are required to obtain a copy of the collection of research papers
related to the above three topics compiled by Jeff Tian.
In addition,
the following books are of particular interests:
-
Michael R. Lyu, editor,
"Handbook of Software Reliability Engineering",
McGraw-Hill, 1995.
Required.
A CD-ROM containing software reliability tools and actual data
is included in the book.
-
N. G. Leveson,
"Safeware",
Addison-Wesley, 1995.
Recommended.
A good textbook on software safety.
-
J. D. Musa, A. Iannino and K. Okumoto,
"Software Reliability: Measurement, Prediction, Application",
McGraw-Hill, 1987.
Recommended.
A classic in software reliability engineering.
There are two editions, original (1987) and professional (1990).
The student should get the original edition for in-depth
mathematics used in reliability models.
-
J. D. Musa,
"Software Reliability Engineering",
McGraw-Hill, 1998.
Recommended.
This one focuses a bit more on
operational profiles and usage-based testing.
4. Workload and Grading
The course grade each student receives will reflect the weighted
average of homework, a major project, and other assignments:
- Project:
The project will either be 1) an application of a specific technique
in software reliability engineering or software safety engineering
discussed in class and the report of related findings,
or 2) a term paper covering some in-depth (theoretical) study of a chosen topic.
Students may form teams to do the project.
However, if one chooses to write a term paper,
it should be an individual effort.
An oral presentation and a written report are required for each project.
- Homework: 3 or 4 homework assignments will be given
on relevant topics.
- Individual study presentation:
The in-class and TAGER students are required to give a presentation
in class, lasting approximately 30 minutes
on a topic approved by the instructor.
The videotape students will be asked to prepare a presentation
package with a detailed script.
The approximate weight assignment is as follows:
-
Project: 50%
- 10%: proposal due before Spring Break
- 15%: oral presentation before the last day of class
- 25%: report due by the last day of class
-
Homework: 25%
-
Individual study presentation & class participation: 25%
Prepared by Jeff Tian
(tian@seas.smu.edu).
Last update Nov. 4, 1998.