Predicting where faults can hide from testing

Sensitivity analysis, which estimates the probability that a program location can hide a failure-causing fault, is addressed. The concept of sensitivity is discussed, and a fault/failure model that accounts for fault location is presented. Sensitivity analysis requires that every location be analyzed for three properties: the probability of execution occurring, the probability of infection occurring, and the probability of propagation occurring. One type of analysis is required to handle each part of the fault/failure model. Each of these analyses is examined, and the interpretation of the resulting three sets of probability estimates for each location is discussed. The relationship of the approach to testability is considered.<>