Reliability of Computer Systems and Networks

A comprehensive introduction to reliability and availability modeling, analysis, and design at the system, hardware, and software levels

Reliability of Computer Systems and Networks presents the fundamentals of reliability and availability analysis for various computer hardware, software, and networked systems. Reliability and availability as major objectives in system design are the focus. Various redundancy and fault-tolerant techniques, as well as error-correcting coding techniques are treated.

The author proposes a high-level design approach based on apportioning the reliability and availability goals to subsystems and provides various techniques for achieving these subsystem goals. The next step is an efficient, exact optimization approach based on upper and lower bounds to minimize the number of feasible candidates. The most readily applied methods for analysis are utilized and design techniques are derived from basic principles. Analytical simplifications and approximations are developed to validate the results of computer models used for large-scale complex problems.

Coverage includes:

Coding and decoding schemes for error detection and correction including chip reliability

Comparison of the reliability and availability of parallel, standby, and majority voting architectures

Formulation, solution, and interpretation of Markov models for repairable systems

Introduction and comparison of various RAID memory systems

The architecture and fault-tolerant principles of TANDEM and STRATUS non-stop computer systems

Practical and tutorial examples and numerous practice problems

Appendices which cover the necessary background material on probability, reliability, and architecture

Reliability of Computer Systems and Networks offers in-depth and up-to-date coverage of reliability and availability for students with a focus on important applications areas, computer systems, and networks. Professionals in systems and reliability design, as well as computer architecture, will find it a highly useful reference.