SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE IN AUTOMOTIVE AND AEROSPACE APPLICATIONS – AN OVERVIEW

Abstract

It is of vital importance for safety-critical applications in automotive and aerospace systems to receive timely software maintenance. Systems deemed safety-critical are those wherein failure could result in loss of life, property damage, or environmental harm, and are extensively used in aircraft, vehicles, medical devices, nuclear reactors, and more. Consequently, standardized and regular software maintenance is imperative to guarantee these systems stay secure and sheltered against vulnerabilities. This paper gives an overview of the role of software maintenance in automotive and aerospace domains, emphasizing the necessity of preserving an appropriately maintained software environment. It additionally addresses particular difficulties faced in the automotive and aerospace industries, widespread practices and approaches, and developing trends in software maintenance. The paper starts with a comparative evaluation of the maintenance practices across these domains, stresses the commonalities and differences, and outlines potential research directions to further enhance the safety and reliability of software in these critical applications.