CSR --- SMA: Reliability Modeling and Evaluation of Fault-Tolerant Hierarchical Computer Systems

摘要随着系统复杂性的不断增加，可靠性建模与分析在容错层次计算机系统的设计与调优中越来越重要。在这一领域已经进行了大量的研究工作，但是在现有的计算机系统可靠性模型中，由于不完善的恢复机制而导致的模块化不完全覆盖（MIPC）和由于共同的根本原因而导致的共因故障（CCF）这两个实际问题通常被忽略或没有得到充分的考虑。如果不能准确地对它们中的任何一个进行建模，就会导致系统可靠性的高估或低估，从而使可靠性分析在计算机系统的设计和调优中变得不那么有效。本项目的主要目标是建立新的可靠性模型，以全面描述MIPC和CCF，并探索有效的模型评估方法，从而更准确地分析分层计算机系统的可靠性。该项目包括三个阶段：模型开发，模型评估，以及应用本研究开发的概念和方法的可靠性分析软件工具的开发。通过这项工作开发的新模型和评估方法是对计算机系统可靠性知识体系的基础性贡献。本项目的研究成果将支持设计受MIPC和CCF约束的可靠计算机系统。PI将通过研讨会、课堂材料、会议/期刊出版物和项目的互联网网站向学术界和工业界传播信息和知识。

AbstractDue to the ever increasing system complexity, reliability modeling and analysis are becoming increasingly essential components in the design and tuning of fault-tolerant hierarchical computer systems. Tremendous research efforts have been expended in this area, but two practical issues, modular imperfect coverage (MIPC) resulted from imperfect recovery mechanisms and common-cause failures (CCF) arising from a shared root cause, have generally been missed or not been fully considered in existing computer system reliability models. Failure to model either of them accurately results in over/understated system reliability, which makes reliability analysis less effective in the design and tuning of computer systems. The primary goals of this project are to develop novel reliability models for fully describing MIPC and CCF, and to explore efficient model evaluation methods leading to more accurate analysis of hierarchical computer system reliability. This project involves three phases: model development, model evaluation, and the development of a reliability analysis software tool that applies the concepts and methods developed through this research. The new models and evaluation methods developed through this work are fundamental contributions to the body of knowledge on the computer system reliability. Research results from this project will support the design of reliable computer systems subject to MIPC and CCF. The PI will disseminate information and knowledge to the academic community and the industry through seminars, classroom materials, conference/journal publications, and an Internet website for the project.