Automated fault tolerance evaluator for system design, simulation, and analysis

Abstract

An automated fault tolerance design, simulation, and analysis tool is described which enables users to evaluate reliability and fault tolerant characteristics of complex and adaptive multiprocessing systems. The evaluation tool employs graphics and text user interfaces, redesigned software and hardware fault tolerance templates, graphics model preprocessing and simulation, and analysis and postprocessing techniques to provide offline reliability and fault tolerance measures for proposed software and/or hardware systems. The automated fault tolerance evaluator (AFTE) tool set allows system designers and analysts to implement fault tolerance early in the design phase through a validated computer-aided engineering environment. If fault tolerance capability must be added to existing systems, AFTE provides rapid modeling and analysis capability to support retrofit design efforts. The library of widely used components and fault tolerance templates aids the rapid development of simulation models of design alternatives and easy incorporation of validated fault tolerance process models into the system model. The simulation and analysis capabilities enable the user to validate system designs, evaluate alternative designs, and point out areas of possible redesign. >