Software Safety and Reliability

The role of software has changed from simply generating financial
or mechanical data to monitoring and controlling equipment that
directly affects human life and safety. As a result, a more
thorough understanding and familiarity with the specialized
techniques used to achieve and assess the safety and reliability of
software is needed in academia, industry, and government.

This original text introduces the concepts, techniques, and
approaches used to achieve and assess software safety and
reliability. Debra Herrmann presents a cross-section of current
safety and reliability standards that cross multiple industrial
sectors while focusing on the additional required activities to
achieve software safety and reliability. In organizing this text,
the she has three objectives. The first is to raise the reader's
awareness on the importance of software safety and reliability and
on its role in mission critical systems by presenting many
illustrative, ever day examples. The second objective is to provide
practical information about the current methods used to achieve and
assess software safety and reliability. The final objective is to
improve the understanding and practice of software safety and
reliability by consolidating the latest research so that it can be
compared and analyzed for the future.

The book is written for engineers, scientists, managers,
regulators, and policy makers involved in the design, development,
acquisition, and certification of safety-critical systems.