On reliability modeling and analysis of highly-reliable large systems

• Published in: Annual Reliability and Maintainability Symposium Proceedings pp. 456 - 459
• Main Authors: Loman, J., Wendai Wang
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Piscataway NJ IEEE 2002
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Communication system software; Computer science; control theory; systems; Control theory. Systems; Data communication; Exact sciences and technology; Hardware; Large scale systems; Modems; Operational research and scientific management; Operational research. Management science; Power system analysis computing; Power system faults; Power system modeling; Power system planning; Power system reliability; Power system simulation; Reliability theory. Replacement problems; Availability; Complex system; Large system; Internetworking; System reliability; Block diagram; Repairable system
• ISBN: 0780373480; 9780780373488
• ISSN: 0149-144X; 2577-0993
• DOI: 10.1109/RAMS.2002.981685

Modem systems are getting more and more complex, incorporating new technology to meet customer's high expectations. Hardware, software and data communications are integrated to make systems function properly. One example is a critical power system, which provides electrical power to a data center or to semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Reliability techniques of fault-tolerance, true redundancy, multiple grid connections, concurrent maintenance and so forth are applied in design to provide high system reliability. The techniques make the system larger and more complicated in configuration and behavior. Application of modeling tools and analysis methods to such highly reliable, large, complex and repairable systems is discussed in this paper, based on the experience of assessing critical power systems. The use of reliability block diagram plus simulation is recommended as one of the best engineering practices in planning for such large complex repairable systems.