A Markov Chain-Based Testability Growth Model With a Cost-Benefit Function

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a Markov chain-based testability growth model (TGM) for the just in-time fix program. This model can help the system designers to manage the testability growth process during system maturation. We also derive a cost-benefit model for allocating test resources to optimize a specified testability metric subject to a constraint on cumulative test cost. Bayesian inference, coupled with a hybrid genetic and particle swarm optimization method, is used to estimate the parameters of the TGM from evolving data, and the resulting model is utilized to track and project the testability metric. A near-optimal Lagrangian relaxation-based algorithm is applied to solve the test resource allocation problem. The testability growth and resource allocation models are validated via simulation examples. Results show that the model and algorithms presented in this paper have the potential to efficiently manage the testability growth problem.