To address reliability a number of measures will be taken throughout the development and testing process. Select TWO appropriate measures that are typically taken as part of reliability engineering and/or testing of an application. 3 credits [K4]

Reliability engineering focuses on ensuring a system performs its specified functions under stated conditions for a specified period. Defining operational profiles is a cornerstone of reliability testing; it involves creating a quantitative characterization of how the system will be used in the field. This allows for testing that realistically simulates actual usage, enabling accurate reliability measurement and prediction. Performing a design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a proactive reliability engineering technique used early in the lifecycle to systematically identify potential failure modes, their causes, and effects, allowing designers to mitigate them and build a more robust and reliable system from the outset.

B. State Transition Testing is a functional, black-box test design technique for modeling system behavior, not a specific measure for reliability engineering.
C. Usability testing evaluates ease of use and user satisfaction, which is a separate quality characteristic from reliability (the ability to function without failure).
E. Exploratory testing is an unscripted, experience-based approach that is less suited for the structured, often quantitative, methods required for formal reliability assessment.

1. ISTQB® Certified Tester Advanced Level Test Analyst Syllabus (Version 3.1.2

2019).

For option A: Section 4.3.3

"Testing for Reliability

" page 48

states

"The use of operational profiles is a key aspect of reliability testing. An operational profile describes the tasks that the system will perform and the frequency and/or probability of each of these tasks."

For option D: Section 4.3.2

"Reliability

" page 47

notes that reliability can be improved by "...using fault-tolerant approaches (e.g.

FMEA)." This identifies FMEA as a technique for enhancing system reliability.

2. Musa

J. D. (1993). Operational profiles in software-reliability engineering. IEEE Software

10(2)

14-32.

For option A: The entire paper is a foundational text establishing the critical role of operational profiles in software reliability engineering to guide testing and achieve reliability objectives. See Abstract and Section I

"Introduction." (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/52.199724)

3. Rejzek

M.

& Půlpán

Z. (2012). FMEA in Software Engineering. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis

60(4)

315-322.

For option D: This paper discusses the application of FMEA to software engineering

stating

"FMEA is a tool that allows us to find potential problems in the system

product or service

determine their impact and identify actions to mitigate them." (p. 315). This confirms its role as a proactive reliability measure. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.11118/actaun201260040315)