Optimal testing-resource allocation with genetic algorithm for modular software systems

In software testing, an important issue is to allocate the limited testing resources to achieve maximum reliability. There are numerous publications on this issue, but the models are usually developed under the assumption of simple series or parallel modules. For complex system configuration, the optimization problem becomes difficult to solve. In this paper, we present a genetic algorithm for testing-resource allocation problems that can be used when the software systems structure is complex, and also when there are multiple objectives. We consider both system reliability and testing cost in the testing-resource allocation problems. The approach is easily implemented. Some numerical examples are shown to illustrate the applicability of the approach. © 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.