Estimating software project requirements for resolving defect backlogs
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorJohn Michael Lake
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods, apparatus, and computer program products for analyzing defect backlogs that arise in the software development process. Analysis is based on a validity ratio that projects the number of open defects that are likely to actually require fixes, a fix rate that describes the performance of the development team charged with fixing the defects, defect census data, and team performance census data. One outcome of the analysis may be an estimate of the date by which the defect backlog should be resolved. Another outcome of the analysis may be an estimate of the capacity of a team to resolve defects between a given start date and a given target date.
Claims8
A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for estimating software project requirements, said method steps comprising:
- computing a validity ratio for defects in an open state;
- computing a fix rate for a team;
- and
- analyzing a software defect backlog that includes the defects in the open state, using the computed validity ratio and the computed fix rate;
- wherein the step of computing a validity ratio includes steps of adding numbers of defects in working, verify, and closed states, to provide a first sum;
- adding the numbers of defects in the working, verify, and closed states and a number of defects in a canceled state, to provide a second sum;
- and dividing the first sum by the second sum, to provide the validity ratio.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.