Title: Managing change and reliability of distributed software system

Authors: R. Amuthakkannan, S.M. Kannan, K. Vijayalakshmi, V. Jayabalan

Addresses: Mechatronics and Virtual Instrumentation Research Cell, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore 641 014, Tamil Nadu, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai 625 015, Tamil Nadu, India. ' Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Dr. Mahalingam College of Engineering and Technology, Pollachi 642 003, Tamil Nadu, India. ' Department of Manufacturing Engineering, College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University, Chennai 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract: Software reliability is the end-user view of software quality. It cannot be directly measured, so other related factors such as development process, faults and failures are measured to estimate the software reliability. In this paper, an architecture-based software reliability estimation model is analysed and it is proposed to extend for complex distributed software systems by incorporating the effects of logical and physical components, interlink reliability and the hierarchy of subsystems. The given model is applied by taking a case study of software-based enterprise resource management system. Software reliability can be improved by detecting and removing the defects. Here, frameworks are proposed to continuously improve the logical and physical interlink reliability of the software to improve the overall reliability of distributed software systems over its life cycle by the technique of product and process improvement with the help of defect management system.

Keywords: distributed software; software reliability; software quality; logical components; physical components; interlinking; defect management; change management; enterprise resource management; product improvement; process improvement.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISCM.2007.013880

International Journal of Information Systems and Change Management, 2007 Vol.2 No.1, pp.30 - 49

Published online: 01 Jun 2007 *

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