Jesse H. Poore

Bio: Jesse H. Poore is an academic researcher from University of Tennessee. The author has contributed to research in topics: Software requirements specification & Software. The author has an hindex of 17, co-authored 44 publications receiving 1205 citations.

Markov analysis of software specifications

Abstract: A procedure for modeling software usage with the finite state, discrete parameter Markov chain is described. It involves rigorous analysis of the specification before design and coding begin. Many benefits emerge from this process, including the ability to synthesize a macro level usage distribution from a micro level understanding of how the software will be used. This usage distribution becomes the basis for a statistical test of the software, which is fundamental to the Cleanroom development process. Some analytical results known for Markov chains that have meaningful implications and interpretations for the software development process are described.

Statistical testing of software based on a usage model

Abstract: In statistical testing, a model is developed to characterize the population of uses of the software, and the model is used to generate a statistically correct sample of all uses of the software. A software ‘usage model’ characterizes the population of intended uses of the software in the intended environment. Statistical testing based on a software usage model ensures that the failures that will occur most frequently in operational use will be found early in the testing cycle. The usage model is based on the software specification. The model can be developed in parallel with the software, thus shortening the elapsed time required to develop the deliver software. Usage modeling has been demonstrated to be an activity that improves the specification, gives an analytical description of the specification, quantifies the testing costs and, with statistical testing, provides a basis from which inferences of software reliability may be made. This paper describes the justification for statistical testing of software using a usage model, describes procedures for developing and using a usage model and discusses several usage modeling issues and recent advances in usage model applications.

Cleanroom software engineering: technology and process

Abstract: Cleanroom software engineering is a process for developing and certifying high-reliability software. Combining theory-based engineering technologies in project management, incremental development, software specification and design, correctness verification, and statistical quality certification, the Cleanroom process answers today's call for more reliable software and provides methods for more cost-effective software development.Cleanroom originated with Harlan D. Mills, an IBM Fellow and a visionary in software engineering. Written by colleagues of Mills and some of the most experienced developers and practitioners of Cleanroom, Cleanroom Software Engineering provides a roadmap for software management, development, and testing as disciplined engineering practices. This book serves both as an introduction for those new to Cleanroom and as a reference guide for the growing practitioner community. Readers will discover a proven way to raise both quality and productivity in their software-intensive products, while reducing costs.Highlights Explains basic Cleanroom theory Introduces the sequence-based specification method Elaborates the full management, development, and certification process in a Cleanroom Reference Model (CRM) Shows how the Cleanroom process dovetails with the SEI's Capability Maturity Model for Software (CMM) Includes a large case study to illustrate how Cleanroom methods scale up to large projects.

Foundations of sequence-based software specification

Abstract: Rigorous specification early in the software development process can greatly reduce the cost of later development and maintenance, as well as provide an explicit means to manage risk and identify and meet safety requirements. Sequence-based software specification is a collection of techniques for implementing rigorous, practical software specification. The primary result of this research is the sequence enumeration method of specification writing. Straightforward, systematic enumeration of all sequences to produce an arguably complete, consistent, and traceably correct specification is made practical by controlling the growth of the process.

Handbook of software reliability engineering

Abstract: Technical foundations introduction software reliability and system reliability the operational profile software reliability modelling survey model evaluation and recalibration techniques practices and experiences best current practice of SRE software reliability measurement experience measurement-based analysis of software reliability software fault and failure classification techniques trend analysis in validation and maintenance software reliability and field data analysis software reliability process assessment emerging techniques software reliability prediction metrics software reliability and testing fault-tolerant SRE software reliability using fault trees software reliability process simulation neural networks and software reliability. Appendices: software reliability tools software failure data set repository.

Embracing change with extreme programming

Abstract: Traditional software engineering means have been characterized by a rather predictable process in the past. Users tell once and for all exactly what they want. Programmers design the system that will deliver those features. They code it; test it, and all is well. But all was not always well. The users did not tell once and for all exactly what they wanted. They changed their minds, and the users were not the only problem. Programmers could misjudge their progress. The academic software engineering community took the high cost of changing software as a challenge, creating technologies like relational databases, modular programming, and information hiding. This is where extreme programming comes in. Rather than planning, analyzing, and designing for the far-flung future, XP exploits the reduction in the cost of changing software to do all of these activities a little at a time, throughout software development. The paper discusses the major practices of XP.

The Oracle Problem in Software Testing: A Survey

Abstract: Testing involves examining the behaviour of a system in order to discover potential faults. Given an input for a system, the challenge of distinguishing the corresponding desired, correct behaviour from potentially incorrect behavior is called the “test oracle problem”. Test oracle automation is important to remove a current bottleneck that inhibits greater overall test automation. Without test oracle automation, the human has to determine whether observed behaviour is correct. The literature on test oracles has introduced techniques for oracle automation, including modelling, specifications, contract-driven development and metamorphic testing. When none of these is completely adequate, the final source of test oracle information remains the human, who may be aware of informal specifications, expectations, norms and domain specific information that provide informal oracle guidance. All forms of test oracles, even the humble human, involve challenges of reducing cost and increasing benefit. This paper provides a comprehensive survey of current approaches to the test oracle problem and an analysis of trends in this important area of software testing research and practice.

A taxonomy of model-based testing approaches

Abstract: Model-based testing (MBT) relies on models of a system under test and/or its environment to derive test cases for the system. This paper discusses the process of MBT and defines a taxonomy that covers the key aspects of MBT approaches. It is intended to help with understanding the characteristics, similarities and differences of those approaches, and with classifying the approach used in a particular MBT tool. To illustrate the taxonomy, a description of how three different examples of MBT tools fit into the taxonomy is provided. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.