Incorporating software reliability engineering into the test process for an extensive GUI-based network management system

This paper describes the process used to adapt Software Reliability Engineering (SRE) to a GUI-based network management system. This system is used for the operations and maintenance of GSM mobile telephone networks. The objectives were to formally quantify customer usage of the software in the field, to increase test effectiveness, and to establish an accurate pre-release software quality indicator. It reports on a novel use of capture and playback tools to automatically generate operational profiles on a GUI system, and on the process model developed to adapt and implement SRE. It also describes the application, with minimal overhead, of the operational profiles to the existing test process and practical lessons learned as a result of this experience. Initial results show that it is not necessary to wait until the end of the SRE implementation process to see benefit This paper demonstrates that significant test effectiveness improvements can be seen during the implementation of SRE.