Computers are currently used in a variety of critical applications, including systems for nuclear reactor control, flight control (both aircraft and spacecraft), and air traffic control. Moreover, experience has shown that the dependability of such systems is particularly sensitive to that of its software components, both the system software of the embedded computers and the application software they support. Software Performability: From Concepts to Applications addresses the construction and solution of analytic performability models for critical-application software. The book includes a review of general performability concepts along with notions which are peculiar to software performability. Since fault tolerance is widely recognized as a viable means for improving the dependability of computer system (beyond what can be achieved by fault prevention), the examples considered are fault-tolerant software systems that incorporate particular methods of design diversity and fault recovery. Software Performability: From Concepts to Applications will be of direct benefit to both practitioners and researchers in the area of performance and dependability evaluation, fault-tolerant computing, and dependable systems for critical applications. For practitioners, it supplies a basis for defining combined performance-dependability criteria (in the form of objective functions) that can be used to enhance the performability (performance/dependability) of existing software designs. For those with research interests in model-based evaluation, the book provides an analytic framework and a variety of performability modeling examples in an application context of recognized importance. The material contained in this book will both stimulate future research on related topics and, for teaching purposes, serve as a reference text in courses on computer system evaluation, fault-tolerant computing, and dependable high-performance computer systems.

Comprehensive coverage of all aspects of space application oriented fault tolerance techniques • Experienced expert author working on fault tolerance for Chinese space program for almost three decades • Initiatively provides a systematic texts for the cutting-edge fault tolerance techniques in spacecraft control computer, with emphasis on practical engineering knowledge • Presents fundamental and advanced theories and technologies in a logical and easy-to-understand manner • Beneficial to readers inside and outside the area of space applications

Recent advances in micro-electronics and in computer architecture have led to renewed interest in fault-tolerant computers for spacecraft applications. The general field of fault-tolerant computers is surveyed, and concepts of static and dynamic redundancy, error detection by code or multiple processing, and the significance of low-level redundancy are explained. Prior efforts in the design of fault-tolerant computers for space applications are surveyed with processing capability, weight, and reliability estimates listed for a number of representative efforts. The SAMSO Fault-Tolerant Spaceborne Computer (FTSC) is the most current of these developments, and it is described in greater detail together with the proposed reliability test methodology for the prototype. Recent developments in reliability estimation, employment of microprocessors, and fault-tolerant software that are related to this field are briefly discussed. (Author).

This paper introduces the fundamental concepts of fault tolerant computing. Key topics covered are voting, fault detection, clock synchronization, Byzantine Agreement, diagnosis, and reliability analysis. Low level mechanisms such as Hamming codes or low level communications protocols are not covered. The paper is tutorial in nature and does not cover any topic in detail. The focus is on rationale and approach rather than detailed exposition. Butler, Ricky W. Langley Research Center COMPUTER SYSTEMS DESIGN; FAULT TOLERANCE; RELIABILITY ANALYSIS; REDUNDANCY; ARCHITECTURE (COMPUTERS); RELIABILITY ENGINEERING; FAULT DETECTION; COMPUTER DESIGN

Comprehensive coverage of all aspects of space application oriented fault tolerance techniques • Experienced expert author working on fault tolerance for Chinese space program for almost three decades • Initiatively provides a systematic texts for the cutting-edge fault tolerance techniques in spacecraft control computer, with emphasis on practical engineering knowledge • Presents fundamental and advanced theories and technologies in a logical and easy-to-understand manner • Beneficial to readers inside and outside the area of space applications

Fault-Tolerant Attitude Control of Spacecraft presents the fundamentals of spacecraft fault-tolerant attitude control systems, along with the most recent research and advanced, nonlinear control techniques. This book gives researchers a self-contained guide to the complex tasks of envisaging, designing, implementing and experimenting by presenting designs for integrated modeling, dynamics, fault-tolerant attitude control, and fault reconstruction for spacecraft. Specifically, the book gives a full literature review and presents preliminaries and mathematical models, robust fault-tolerant attitude control, fault-tolerant attitude control with actuator saturation, velocity-free fault tolerant attitude control, finite-time fault-tolerant attitude tracking control, and active fault-tolerant attitude contour. Finally, the book looks at the future of this interesting topic, offering readers a one-stop solution for those working on fault-tolerant attitude control for spacecraft. Presents the fundamentals of fault-tolerant attitude control systems for spacecraft in one practical solution Gives the latest research and thinking on nonlinear attitude control, fault tolerant control, and reliable attitude control Brings together concepts in fault control theory, fault diagnosis, and attitude control for spacecraft Covers advances in theory, technological aspects, and applications in spacecraft Presents detailed numerical and simulation results to assist engineers Offers a clear, systematic reference on fault-tolerant control and attitude control for spacecraft