Why Software Systems Fail Essay -- Software Systems Computers Technolo

Why Softw ar Systems Fail 1.0 IntroductionIn this report I go out be concentrating on the distress of softw be systems. To understand why softwargon systems fail we need to understand what are software systems. software product systems are a type of randomness system. This is because a software system is fundamentally a means for hardware to process information. Flynns definition of an information system isAn information system provides procedures to record and make available information, concerning split up of an organization, to assist organization-related activities.Humans have been processing information manually for thousands of years, moreover with the vast increase of demand for knowledge this century has meant that a fresh method of information processing has been needed. package systems have provided a radical means that is much faster and efficient. As a result a huge number of organisations have become software dependent. Some of these systems are used to safeguar d the lives of many people. This means that if these systems were to fail they could lead to crushing consequences. Here are or so examples of where software systems are used heavy and could be very dangerous if they were to fail - aviation, hospitals, space exploration, nuclear male monarch stations and communications. I will be looking at some examples of actual software failure in these fields to explain the concludes why systems fail.2.0 Reasons for Systems illIf software systems failure can be so dangerous why can they not be completely eliminated? According to Parnas, The main reason is that software can never be guaranteed to be 100% reliable. Software systems are discrete-state systems that do not have repetitive structures. The mathematical functions that pass the behaviour of software systems are not continuous, and traditional engineering mathematics do not help in their verification. In other terminology some software can be so large that arrant(a) testing can b e almost impossible and so bugs in the software can go unnoticed. An example of this was when an Atlas-Agena rocket veered off-course when it was ninety miles up. earthly concern control had to destroy the $18.5 rocket. The reasons for this - a missing hyphen. However there are many more reasons for software systems failure, and most of them are due to human beings negligence that leads to software failure. There are two types of software systems... ...e held responsible for the actions of the organisation. 4.0 BibliographyFlynn, Donal J. Information Systems Requirements Determination and Analysis McGraw-Hill Book Company 1992Parnas 1985 taken from Sherer, Susan A. Software Failure Risk Measurement and Management Plenum Press 1992Jones, Carpers Patterns of Software Systems Failure and Success Thomson computer press 1996Neumann, Peter G. Computer Related Risks Addison-Wesley produce company 1995Petroski, Henry To Engineer is Human MacMillan Publishing 1985Flowers, Stephen Softw are failure management failure Chichester John Wiley and Sons 1996.Report of the Inquiry into the London Ambulance Service February 1993. Simpson, Moira (1994) 999 My computers halt breathing The Computer Law and Security Report, 10 March April pp 76-81Dr. Dobbs daybook January 1997 edition<a href=http//catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks>http//catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks<a href=http//www.scit.wlv.ac.uk >http//www.scit.wlv.ac.uk <a href=http//www.bbc.co.uk/news>http//www.bbc.co.uk/news<a href=http//abcnews.go.com/sections/travel>http//abcnews.go.com/sections/travel