FMEA

Software Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is one of the most common methodologies that are employed in the software engineering field to identify possible failure modes in a given system, determine causes of failure, and estimate the probability of failure. First created for uses in other industries such as aerospace and automobiles, FMEA has been applied to software development to ensure that failures do not occur.

Why we need FMEA in Software Engineering

In software engineering, FMEA is used to assess the parts of the software system with the aim of identifying the failure modes. Thus, knowing the failure modes that were described, developers can prevent the problems from arising and becoming critical, which will enhance the quality of the software.

Steps that are involved in the performance of FMEA

The first of these is to establish the system and its various components. This entails the identification of the software’s range, structure and the environment in which it is to operate. If the boundaries are well defined then it becomes easier for the teams to identify all the components as well as their interrelations.

Then, all the components of the system that is related to the problem is enumerated. Such items may include software modules, functions, interfaces and data flows. Every part is then examined for possible failure modes which are the particular ways in which the given part can fail.

For each of the components listed above the possible failure modes are described. These failure modes are the different ways that a component could fail to deliver its intended purpose, for instance, a database cannot return data or an authentication system will approve a wrong user.

After the failure modes have been identified, the failure modes are evaluated in terms of their risk. This involves assessing the risk of the failure, the probability of occurrence of the failure and the detectability of the failure before it happens to the system. This risk assessment enables one to determine which of the issues is most critical.

Therefore, the risk assessment will lead to the identification of measures which can be taken to minimize the risk. These strategies might include redesigning of the components, improving the testing procedures or putting in place systems for the early identification of problems.

Uses of FMEA in Software Development

In the verification phase the FMEA is used to check that the software meets all the specified requirements and works effectively in all conditions. It is for this reason that potential failure modes are best recognized in the early stages of the development process so that they may be corrected before they can influence the final product.

It is also used in testing and quality assurance as well. This can be achieved by developing test cases that focuses on the risky areas thus making it easier to cover the critical failure modes.

Benefits of Implementing FMEA

FMEA is a technique which deals with identifying and controlling potential failures that may occur in a system. This results to the development of better software, with minimal problems after the software has been released.

FMEA helps in identifying the potential failure modes and thus the reliability of the software systems is improved so that it does not fail during the production process.

FMEA helps in identifying problems that may arise during the development process and thus solving them before they cause more harm and expense.

Conclusion

Hence, it is significant to include Software Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) in the software development life cycle in order to avoid failures, improve the reliability of the software and deliver quality software. By identifying potential problems, analyzing risks and coming up with preventive measures, FMEA aids in developing reliable software systems that would be able to perform in different conditions as demanded by the users.