Analysis of a Simple Debugging Model

摘要

A system has an unknown number of faults. Each fault causes a failure of the system, and is then located and removed. The failure times are independent exponential random variables with common mean. A Bayesian analysis of this model is presented, with emphasis on the situation where vague prior knowledge is represented by limiting, improper, prior forms. This provides a test for reliability growth estimates of the number of faults, an evaluation of current system reliability, and a prediction of the time to full debugging. Three examples are given.