Abstract: | The Jelinski–Moranda model of software reliability is generalized by introducing a negative‐binomial prior distribution for the number of faults remaining, together with a Gamma distribution for the rate at which each fault is exposed. This model is well suited to sequential use, where a sequence of reliability forecasts is made in the process of testing or using the software. We also investigate replacing the Gamma distribution with a worst‐case assumption about failure rates (the worst‐case failure rate in models such as this is not infinite, since faults with large failure rates are immediately discovered and removed). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2006 |