Noraziah Ahmad

A Tree Based Strategy for Test Data Generation and Cost Calculation for Uniform and Non-Uniform Parametric Values

Software testing is a very important phase of software development to ensure that the developed system is reliable. Due to huge number of possible combinations involved in testing and the limitation in the time and resources, it is usually too expensive and sometimes impossible to test systems exhaustively. To reduce the number of test cases to an acceptable level, combinatorial software interaction testing has been suggested and used by many researchers in the software testing field. It is also reported in literature that pairwise (2-way) combinatorial interaction testing can detect most of the software faults. In this paper we propose a new strategy for test data generation, a Tree Based Test Case Generation and Cost Calculation strategy (TBGCC) that supports uniform and non-uniform values, for input parameters (i.e. parameters with same and different number of values). Our strategy is distinct from others work since we include only the test cases which covers the maximum number of pairs in the covering array at every iteration. Additionally, the whole set of test cases will be checked as one block at every iteration only until the covering array is covered. Other strategies check each test case (N-1) times, where N is the maximum number of the input parameters. A detail description of the tree generation strategy, the iterative cost calculation strategy and effecient empirical results are presented.

Lowest Data Replication Storage of Binary Vote Assignment Data Grid

Data replication is one of the mechanisms in data grid architecture since it improves data access and reliability. There are many replication techniques exist in distributed systems environment include Read-One-Write-All (ROWA), Branch Replication Scheme (BRS), Hierarchical Replication Scheme (HRS) and our previous Binary Vote Assignment Data Grid (BVADG) techniques. All these techniques deploy different approaches of data placement in distributed environment. This paper presents the comparison of the replication storage between all these techniques. The result shows that BVADG has the lowest data replication storage between ROWA, BRS and HRS due to the small quorum approach of data placement.

Mental and Spiritual Relaxation by Recitation of the Holy Quran

Nowadays, Tension or Stress is a common and serious problem in our Global Village. Stress and stress related factors contribute to tension and reduced ability to handle lifes everyday challenges. This paper proposes a new method to reduce the stress and tension of our life and also proves that mentally, spiritually and physically relaxation can be achieved by the recitation of the holy Quran. In this technique of listening, reading and watching the text of the Holy Quran subject (User) can involve the whole body. The entire process will be controlled by brain, as a result during this practice the whole body will receive relaxation/refreshment, and the exhaustion, boring and tiredness will be finished. This physiological biofeedback manner provides groceries for spirit. Hence this means can be used in hospitals for mentally disturb and depression effected patients, for relaxation of the soldiers, for refreshing the students, to cool down workers in industries and for the entertainment of passengers in buses and airplanes. This approach replaces negative thoughts with positive and truthful thoughts.

Deriving Formal Specification Using Z Notation

Formal Methods are very tough subject to Software Engineering student. It happens because of the mathematics involvement during software development. Students normally feel very difficult to derive formal specification from informal requirement. The problem always happen is to derive the Z notation in the formal specification. The formal specification is all about the operation inside the requirement needed from the customer using mathematical statement. If there do not know the logic of the operation the notation might goes wrong. In this paper, we propose an approach to deriving formal specifications from informal requirement using venn diagram for creating formal specification in term of training environment to make our student understand. The venn diagram that we use is purposely for the basic level. It is used to visualize in the branch of mathematics known as set theory. It shows all of the possible mathematical or logical relationships between sets groups of things. With this venn diagram they can visualize the operation of their notation. To show how to implement the venn diagram we chose a case study. We show how to convert the Venn diagram to formal specification which is the important part during development of Z schema. Then, we do an analysis of an assignment given to a group of student to know whether the venn diagram is really helpful for them or not.

Synchronous Replication: Novel Strategy of Software Persistence Layer Supporting Heterogeneous System

Synchronous replication is the ideal solution for organizations: search for the fastest possible data recovery, minimal data loss and protection against the problems of database integrity. This ensures that the remote copy of data that is identical to the primary copy is created at the same time the primary copy is updated. However, most of the synchronous replication does not consider the heterogeneous system. In this paper, a software persistence layer for heterogeneous synchronous replication has been designed and developed based on multi-threading known as PLSR. The main objective of this strategy is to make the persistence layer adaptive and make the synchronous replication process reliable and faster than other existing replication processes concerning cost minimization. In the proposed PLSR replication technique, the replication servers are OS independent and the entire replication process is not inter dependent nevertheless on the main server. Adding a new replication server is easier than other processes. The technique also introduces the modification of replication servers without making impairment to the entire process. The comparative Results with SQL server data replication show the PLSR is more acceptable in terms of transactional insertions and sync time. The result shows that PLSR outstanding performs 88.5 % faster than SQL server for transactional insert.

A Parallel Tree Based Strategy for Test Data Generation and Cost Calculation for Pairwise Combinatorial Interaction Testing

Software testing is a very important phase of the software development cycle which ensures that the system developed is reliable and acceptable. Optimizing the test suite size of software eliminates the unnecessary cost and resources that are involved in testing. Sometimes it is not possible to exhaustively test any system due to huge number of test cases. In order to test any system and make it acceptable, combinatorial software interaction testing has been used in several fields. Investigations have concluded that most of the software faults could be identified by pairwise combinatorial interaction testing. Researchers have applied parallel algorithms to various combinatorial optimisation problems and have succeeded in significant time reduction in solving the problems. Large and/or computationally expensive optimization problems sometimes require parallel or high-performance computing systems to achieve reasonable running times.

Neighbour Replica Transaction Failure Framework in Data Grid

Significant and urgent requirement to obtain solutions to manage, distribute and access large sets of raw and processed data efficiently and effectively in the emerging distributed systems such as the data grid. Data grid deals with the efficient management, placement and replication of large amounts of data. Nowadays, replication in distributed environment receives particular attention for providing efficient access to data, fault tolerance and enhance the performance of the system. This paper presents the new Neighbour Replica Transaction Failure Framework (NRTFF) in data grid. We address how to build reliable system for managing transaction on Neighbour Replication Data Grid (NRDG) to maintain data availability, fault tolerance and at the same time avoid the deadlock. The result shows that managing transactions on NRDG through the proposed NRTFF provides fault tolerance capabilities that allow to withstand failure both in handling quorum locking and the transaction execution.

Development Of Expediency Fuel Consumption Cost Simulator

This paper focus on the development of Expediency Fuel Consumption Cost Simulator (EFCCS). EFCCS is automated software that calculates the total amount of fuel cost for a car to travel based on the distance given, driving speed, weight capacity and current market fuel price cost. This software simulator has been developed by using Visual Basic. Net language and SQL Server database system. By deploying EFCCS, users obtain a summary and the best solution to estimate the minimum cost towards the desired destination.

Development of ROWA-MSTS in Distributed Systems Environment

Replication in distributed environment has become increasingly popular due to its high degree of availability, fault tolerance and enhance the performance of a system. These advantages of replication are important because it enables organizations to provide users with access to current data where and when user needed at anytime or anywhere, even if the users are geographically remote. However, this way of data organization introduces low data consistency among replicas when changes are made during transactions. Therefore, a system to monitor data replication in distributed system environment arises. Read-One-Write- All Monitoring Synchronization Transaction System (ROWA-MSTS) has been developed to solve this problem. By using this system, it helps to monitor the replicated data distribution over multiple sites while maintaining the data consistency.

Failure Semantic of Neighbour Replication Grid Transaction Model

Real time application with replicated data in grid environment has received particular attention for providing efficient access, fault tolerance and enhance the performance of the system. This paper presents the new failure semantic to manage neighbour replication data in distributed environment. The failure semantic classes include the transaction abort and system failures. We address how to build reliable system for managing replication and transaction based on Neighbour Replication Grid (NRG) Transaction Model in terms to preserve the data consistency and support fault tolerance when exists the neighbour replica failure in quorum. In addition, we present an implementation of the propose failure semantic through NRG daemon by deploying real time application in distributed systems. The implementation shows that managing transactions on NRG through the failure semantic provides fault tolerance capabilities that allow it to withstand failure both in handling quorum locking and the transaction execution.