ISTQB Advance Level CTAL-TTA Question # 4 Topic 1 Discussion

Analysis:

For a system to meet its reliability requirements, it must maintain a mean time between failure (MTBF) of three months or longer and a mean time to repair (MTTR) of ten minutes or less. When planning and specifying reliability tests, several factors must be considered to ensure these requirements are met.

Key Factor:

B. Determining the target availability for the system:

Availability is a critical factor that encompasses both the MTBF and MTTR. Availability is calculated based on the uptime and downtime of the system, which directly correlates with MTBF and MTTR. Determining the target availability helps ensure that the system can meet the required reliability standards by specifying acceptable levels of uptime and downtime.

Explanation of Incorrect Options:

A. Defining the replaceability requirements:

Replaceability pertains to the ease with which components can be replaced or updated. While important for maintainability, it is not the primary focus for reliability testing in this context.

C. Monitoring reliability in production:

Monitoring in production is important for ongoing reliability assessment but is not a primary consideration when planning and specifying tests before release.

D. Configuring a production-like test environment:

This is essential for accurate testing but is a logistical consideration rather than a direct factor in the reliability requirements.

References:

The ISTQB CTAL-TTA syllabus and standard practices in reliability testing emphasize the importance of availability metrics in planning reliability tests.

Sources:

ISTQB-CTAL-TTA Syllabus

General knowledge on reliability testing and availability.