SYSTEMS AND SOFTWARE DEPENDABILITY

In this seminar, dependable systems are discussed. As an introduction, we copy a paragraph from the book:

Dependability: basic concepts and terminology : in English, French, German, Italian and Japanese / J. C. Laprie

(ed.). – Wien : Springer, 1992. – (Dependable computing and fault-tolerant systems ; 5)

Dependability is defined as the trustworthines of a computer system such that reliance can justifiably be placed on the service it delivers.

“Dependable” has several aspects:

	with respect to the readiness for usage, dependable means available;
	with respect to the continuity of service, dependable means reliable;
	with respect to the avoidance of catastrophic consequences on the environment, dependable means safe;
	with respect to the prevention of unauthorized access and/or handling of information, dependable means secure.

The development of a dependable computing system calls for the combined utilization of a set of methods which can be classed into:

	fault prevention: how to prevent fault occurrence or introduction;
	fault tolerance: how to provide a service complying with the specification in spite of faults;
	fault removal: how to reduce the presence (number, seriousness) of faults;
	fault forecasting: how to estimate the present number, the future incidence, and the consequences of faults.

All sessions take place in building 27.2, room H05 („Seminarraum 1“).

	Holger Hermanns
	David N. Jansen, room 534

Before you present your actual topic, please present as a warm-up in about 10 minutes a “horror story” of a real failure in a software system that should have been dependable. You may get inspiration from a list in the Internet: here or here, but of course, your own ideas are very welcome!

Please do come along at least one week before your presentation to discuss the concept of your slides or your written exposition. The goal is to have the structure and a first idea of the contents of the presentation. (For a one-hour presentation, one calculates about 30 slides.)

Please hand in the final version your written exposition on July 16, at 12.00 noon the latest.

Conditions for grading: Presentation and written exposition; meet the above conditions (deadlines). The grade will be based on the quality of your presentation and exposition.

Here, you will find some proposed literature for the seminar.

You have to use at least one source in addition to the ones proposed by us. If you find some proposal is not sensible, please consult with your teacher.

Last change on June 22, 2004, by David N. Jansen.