Reliable Software and Software FMEA Bootcamp Course Outline

Prerequisites: None. Students do not need to have a background in software engineering or reliability engineering.

Agenda:

1.5 days: Failure and defect analysis and prediction

  • Reliable software metrics.
  • How software fails.
  • Workshop with real software failure data. Learn how to spot the defects that lead to the most downtime.
  • How to predict risk level (defect density), escaped defects, arrival rate of failures from defects, defect pileup, time to first occurrence, MTBSF, P(success), Downtime, and Availability – before the code is even written.
  • Workshop with a real project.
  • Difference between MTBF and MTBSF.
  • How to forecast risk level, escaped defects, arrival rate of failures from defects, defect pileup, time to first occurrence, MTBSF, P(success), Downtime and Availability – during testing from failure data.
  • Workshop with a real set of failure data from testing.
  • How to navigate the IEEE 1633 2016 and the new IEEE 1633 2026.

1.5 days: Effective Software FMEA

  • Understand where software failures originate (i.e. mostly requirements and design).
  • Understand why process assessments and safety assessments don’t find the hidden failure modes.
  • Understand the failure mode categories – faulty state management, error handling, timing, sequencing, processing, data definition, functionality, algorithm, etc.
  • From this point onward, we will apply everything we learn on a real mission and a safety-critical software-intensive system.
  • Understand where to start the failure modes analysis. Note: it’s not at the CSCI, “shall statement” or code level.
  • Understand why the “CSCI black box”, “shall statement” and “code level” FMEAs are a waste of time.
  • Understand how to work through the Common Defect Enumeration in conjunction with industry FMEA standards such as SAE 1025, IEEE 1633 and AIAG VDA.
  • Understand how to objectively assess occurrence. Understand why you don’t use piece part failure rates for specific failure mode occurrences.
  • Understand how to mitigate the failure modes.
  • Generate a critical items list and track to closure.

 

Questions?

Email us at reliability@quanterion.com to request information. Quanterion has been providing on-site and open training around the country for decades and can work with your team to accommodate your needs.