Computer Reliability

Tom Kelliher, CS 200

Mar. 18, 2009

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Assignment

Read: Chapter 8.

Turn in answers to these questions: 1, 2, 5.

From Last Time

Computer and Network (In)Security

Coming Up

Professional ethics.

Chapter Summary

1. ``My dog ate my homework'' has become ``My PC ate my homework''

2. In class exercise: Question 31.

Discussion Questions

1. My truck has a 100,000 mile warranty. My workstation (hardware) has a three year warranty Why doesn't my operating system or applications have a meaningful warranty?

   Is there something inherently different about software?

2. Should all software have warranties? Especially life-critical software?

3. Simulation: verification of software against a model; validation of the model against real-life behavior. Example: surgical simulation.

4. Should software engineers be licensed? Characteristics of professions:
   1. Mastery of an esoteric body of knowledge.
   2. Autonomy.
   3. Formal organization.
   4. Code of ethics. See Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice (http://www.acm.org/serving/se/code.htm).
   5. Social function.
   Does software engineering exhibit all these characteristics?

5. See text for further discussion questions.

Tom Kelliher