Software recreate problems estimated to range 10-20 percent: A case study on two operating system products

Software recreates are necessitated due to inadequate diagnostic capability following a failure. They impact the service process and the perception of availability, but have never been adequately quantified. This paper develops a technique to make the key measurements of: percent recreate, arrival rate and open time, from problem service data without requiring any additional instrumentation. The study is conducted over an 18 month period on two operating system products, that are among the best in the industry for diagnosis and service. The results provide the first insight into the problem and some accurate baselines.