This book reviews existing operational software failure analysis techniques and proposes near-miss analysis as a novel, and new technique for investigating and preventing software failures. The authors provide details on how near-miss analysis techniques focus on the time-window before the software failure actually unfolds, so as to detect the high-risk conditions that can lead to a major failure. They detail how by alerting system users of an upcoming software failure, the detection of near misses provides an opportunity to collect at runtime failure-related data that is complete and relevant. They present a near-miss management systems (NMS) for detecting upcoming software failures, which can contribute significantly to the improvement of the accuracy of the software failure analysis. A prototype of the NMS is implemented and is discussed in the book. The authors give a practical hands-on approach towards doing software failure investigations by means of near-miss analysis that is of use to industry and academia

Although system analysis is a well established methodology, the specific application of such analysis to information systems is a relatively new endeavor. Indeed, it may be said to be still in the trial-and-error stage. In recent years, such analysis has been given impetus by the numerous accounts of information system failures, some of which have led to serious consequences -e.g., the accident at Three Mile Island, the chemical spills at Bophal, India, and at Institute, West Virginia, and the loss of the space shuttle Challenger. Analysis of the failure of the W. T. Grant Company, the third largest retail organization in the United States, indicated that improper use of the available information was a significant factor in that failure. In spite of these incidents and their widespread impact, only meager attempts have been made to develop an effective methodology for analyzing the information systems involved in such incidents. There have been no well developed guidelines for determining the causes of such events and for recommending solutions so that similar failures could be avoided. To address the need for such a methodology, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) sponsored an Advanced Research Workshop attended by a group of 32 scientists, scholars, and expert investigators, representing a variety of disciplines and countries.

Failures or forced shutdowns in power plants are often due to boilers, and particularly failure of boiler tubes. This comprehensive resource deals with the subject of failure investigation of boiler tubes from basic fundamentals to practical applications. Coverage includes properties and selection of materials for boiler tubes from a metallurgical view point, damage mechanisms responsible for failure of boiler tubes, and characterization techniques employed for investigating failures of boiler tubes in thermal power plants and utility boilers of industrial/commercial/institutional (ICI) boilers. A large number of case studies based on the actual failures from the field are described, along with photographs and microstructures to allow for easy comprehension of the theory behind the failures. This book is geared to practicing engineers and for studies in the major area of power plant engineering. For non-metallurgists, a chapter has been devoted to the basics of material science, metallurgy of steels, heat treatment, and structure-property correlation. A chapter on materials for boiler tubes covers composition and application of different grades of steels and high temperature alloys currently in use as boiler tubes and future materials to be used in supercritical, ultra-supercritical and advanced ultra-supercritical thermal power plants. A comprehensive discussion on different mechanisms of boiler tube failure is the heart of the book. Additional chapters detailing the role of advanced material characterization techniques in failure investigation and the role of water chemistry in tube failures are key contributions to the book. The authors have long-standing experience in the field of metallurgy and materials technology, failure investigation, remaining life assessment (RLA) and fitness for service (FFS) for industrial plant and equipment, including power plants. They have conducted a large number of failure investigations of boiler tubes and have recommended effective remedial measures in problem solving for power and utility boilers.

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