Software Reliability Evaluation Using Failure Log Data

Abstract

Software reliability evaluation using failure log data is an important practice for understanding how often software fails, where failures occur, and how system stability changes over time. In enterprise applications, failure logs record runtime errors, service interruptions, transaction failures, exception messages, module crashes, database errors, and user-reported incidents. This article discusses how failure log data can be used to measure software reliability, identify recurring faults, analyze failure frequency, and support maintenance planning. It explains the role of failure occurrence records, timestamps, affected modules, severity levels, recovery time, root cause notes, and recurrence patterns in evaluating system dependability. The article also highlights common challenges such as incomplete logs, duplicate failure entries, unclear error descriptions, missing root cause details, and difficulty linking failures to specific releases or changes. A structured reliability evaluation approach is presented to improve failure classification, trend analysis, corrective action planning, and release quality control. The study concludes that effective use of failure log data improves software stability, reduces repeated failures, and supports reliable operation of enterprise software systems.