Evaluating Reliability of a Software Module Using Development Life Cycle

A computer program product embodied as a plurality of computer-executable instructions recorded on non-transitory computer readable media, said instructions, when executed by at least one computer system, causing the system to perform a method for evaluating reliability of a first software module, the method comprising:

• accessing data recording a state in a software module development life cycle of said first software module;
• accessing at least one of:
• (a) recorded data of development activity with respect to said first software module, and (b) recorded field event data with respect to said first software module, to automatically derive at least one coefficient of a mathematical model projecting software reliability as a function of time in a software module development life cycle of said first software module;
• using said state in a software module development life cycle of said first software module and said mathematical model projecting software reliability as a function of time in a software module development life cycle of said first software module to automatically determine a reliability of said first software module corresponding to at least one of (a) a current state in a software module development life cycle of said first software module;
• or (b) a future state in a software module development life cycle of said first software module;
• and
• providing results of said using said state in a software module development life cycle of said first software module and said mathematical model projecting software reliability as a function of time in a software module development life cycle of said first software module to automatically determine a reliability of said first software module to a user.

A data processing system, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• a memory;
• a software module reliability evaluator embodied as a plurality of instructions recordable in said memory and executable on said at least one processor, said software module reliability evaluator evaluating reliability of a designated software module corresponding to a designated state in a software module development life cycle of said designated software module,
• wherein said software reliability evaluator correlates historical reliability data with multiple states in said software module development life cycle of said designated software module to evaluate reliability of said designated software module;
• and
• wherein said software reliability evaluator outputs results of said evaluating reliability of said designated software module.