Software Safety and Reliability: Techniques, Approaches, and Standards of Key Industrial Sectors

Theroleofsoftwarehaschangedfromsimplygeneratingfinancialormechanicaldatatomonitoringandcontrollingequipmentthatdirectlyaffectshumanlifeandsafety.Asaresult,amorethoroughunderstandingandfamiliaritywiththespecializedtechniquesusedtoachieveandassessthesafetyandreliabilityofsoftwareisneededinacademia,industry,andgovernment.Thisoriginaltextintroducestheconcepts,techniques,andapproachesusedtoachieveandassesssoftwaresafetyandreliability.DebraHerrmannpresentsacross-sectionofcurrentsafetyandreliabilitystandardsthatcrossmultipleindustrialsectorswhilefocusingontheadditionalrequiredactivitiestoachievesoftwaresafetyandreliability.Inorganizingthistext,theshehasthreeobjectives.Thefirstistoraisethereader'sawarenessontheimportanceofsoftwaresafetyandreliabilityandonitsroleinmissioncriticalsystemsbypresentingmanyillustrative,everdayexamples.Thesecondobjectiveistoprovidepracticalinformationaboutthecurrentmethodsusedtoachieveandassesssoftwaresafetyandreliability.Thefinalobjectiveistoimprovetheunderstandingandpracticeofsoftwaresafetyandreliabilitybyconsolidatingthelatestresearchsothatitcanbecomparedandanalyzedforthefuture.Thebookiswrittenforengineers,scientists,managers,regulators,andpolicymakersinvolvedinthedesign,development,acquisition,andcertificationofsafety-criticalsystems.