1.2.3 Errors, Defects, and Root Causes

Question 1

Humans make “ “ which produce “ “ which in turn may result in “ “.

Answer 1

errors (mistakes)

defects (faults, bugs)

failures

Question 2

Humans make errors for various reasons

Answer 2

time pressure, work product complexity, processes, infrastructure or interactions, or simply tired or lack adequate training.

Question 3

Defects can be found in

Answer 3

documentations, like in requirements specifications or a test script, in source code, or in a supporting work produce like a build file.

Question 4

Defects in work products produced

Answer 4

earlier in the SDLC, if undetected, often lead to defective work products later in the lifecycle.

Question 5

If a defect in code is executed

Answer 5

the system may fail to do what it should do, or do something it shouldn’t, causing a failure.

Question 6

Failures can also be caused by

Answer 6

environmental conditions like when radiation or electromagnetic fields cause firmware defects.

Question 7

A root cause is

Answer 7

a fundamental reason for a problem occurrence ( a situation that leads to an error).

Question 8

Root causes are identified

Answer 8

through root cause analysis, typically performed when a failure occurs or a defect is identified.

Question 9

By addressing the root cause

Answer 9

It is believed that further similar failures or defects can be prevented or their frequencies reduced.