Optimal Release times of a Software Cost Model with Consideration of Various Costs

Software system which is essential in operating the computer has gradually become an indispensable element in many aspects of our daily lives and an important factor in numerous systems. In recent years, software cost sometimes exceeds the cost of maintaining the hardware system. In addition to the cost necessary to develop the new software system and to maintain the system, the penalty costs incurred due to software failures are even more significant. In this paper, a cost model incorporating the warranty cost, debugging costto remove each fault detected in the software system, and delivery delay cost is developed. A software reliability model based on non-homogeneous Poisson process(NHPP) is established and the optimal software release policies to minimize the expected total software cost are discussed. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the results.