1188 World Abstracts on Microelectronics and Reliability
IEEE Trans. Reliab. R-30 (4), 325 (1981). In a probabilistic
network, source-to-multiple-terminal reliability (SMT reli-
ability) is the probability that a specified vertex can reach
every other vertex. This paper derives a new topological
formula for the S M T reliability of probabilistic networks.
The formula generates only non-cancelling terms. The non-
cancelling terms in the reliability expression correspond one-
to-one with the acyclic t-subgraphs of the network. An
acyclic t-subgraph is an acyclic graph in which every link is in
at least one spanning rooted tree of the graph. The sign to be
associated with each term is easily computed by counting the
vertices and links in the corresponding subgraph.
Overall reliability is the probability that every vertex can
reach every other vertex in the network. For an undirected
network, it is shown the S M T reliability is equal to the
overall reliability. The formula is general and applies to net-
works containing directed or undirected links. Furthermore
link failures in the network can be s-dependent.
An algorithm is presented for generating all acyclic t-sub-
graphs and computing the reliability of the network. The
reliability expression is obtained in symbolic factored form.
Rules for calculating the time-specific frequency of system
failure. C. SINGH. IEEE Trans. Reliab. R-30 (4), 364 (1981).
This paper develops formulas for converting expressions for
time-specific probabilities of system success and system
failure into time-specific fi'equencies of system success and
system failure.
Stochastic reliability-growth: a model for fault-removal in
computer-programs and hardware-designs. BEV LITTLEWOOD.
IEEE Trans. Reliab. R-30 (4), 313 (1981). An assumption
commonly made in early models ofsoftware reliability is that
the failure rate of a program is a constant multiple of the
(unknown) number of faults remaining. This implies that all
faults contribute the same a m o u n t to the failure rate of the
program. The assumption is challenged and an alternative
proposed. The suggested model results in earlier fault-fixes
having a greater effect than later ones (the faults which make
the greatest contribution to the overall failure rate tend to
show themselves earlier, and so are fixed earlier), and the
D F R property between fault fixes (assurance about pro-
grams increases during periods of failure-free operation, as
well as at fault fixes). The model is tractable and allows a
variety of reliability measures to be calculated. Predictions of
total execution time to achieve a target reliability, and total
number of fault fixes to target reliability, are obtained. The
model might also apply to hardware reliability growth result-
ing from the elimination of design errors.
A useful property of "Graphical" estimators of location and
scale parameters. PASQUALEERTO. IEEE Trans. Reliab. R-30
(4), 381 (1981). This paper presents a method for construc-
ting exact s-confidence limits for reliability and/or quantiles
based on graphical estimators of location and scale para-
meters. The method arises from the ancillary property of the
reliability function estimated by using plotting positions and
the least squares method. From the distribution of this esti-
mator alone, one can obtain graphs or tables to calculate
directly the s-confidence limits for both reliability and quan-
tiles. These limits are exact even for very small sample-sizes
in that they are calculated without using asymptotic approxi-
mations. An example of a graph which enables one to cal-
culate these limits for a 2-parameter Weibull distribution, is
given. This example uses plotting positions recently pro-
posed by the author.
An error detection model for application during software de-
velopment. PAUL B. MORANDA.IEEE Trans. Reliab. R-30 (4),
309 (1981). A variation of the Jelinski/Moranda model is
described. The main feature of this new model is that the
variable (growing) size of a developing program is accom-
modated, so that the quality of a program can be estimated
by analyzing an initial segment of the written code. Two
parameters are estimated from the data. The data are: (a)
time separations between error detections, (b) the number of
errors per written instruction, (c) the failure rate (or finding
rate) of a single error, and (d) a time record of the number of
instructions under test. This model permits predictions of
M T T F and error content of any software package which is
homogenous with respect to its complexity (error making/
finding). It assists in determining the quality, as measured by
error contents, early on, and could eliminate the present
practice of applying models to the wrong regimes (decreasing
failure rate models applied to growing-in-size software pack-
ages). The growth model is very tractable analytically. The
important requirement for applications is that the error-
making rate must be constant across the entire software
program.
A heuristic algorithm for system failure frequency. J. P.
GADANI and K. B. MISRA. IEEE Trans. Reliab. R-30 (4), 357
(1981). For reliability analysis, the choice between tie-sets
and cut-sets is not a matter of convenience but depends on
assessment of computational effort. The system configura-
tion alone determines the preference of the approach. The
present paper offers a faster algorithm for evaluating system
failure frequency using both approaches. An expression for
system failure frequency between two specified nodes is de-
rived using either tie-sets or cut-sets. The expression is in
terms of failure frequency, availability, and unavailability of
the system elements. A heuristic algorithm to obtain the
expression can be programmed for a computer. The algo-
rithm is illustrated through an example. The manner in
which Abraham's algorithm can be used to determine system
probability of failure using cut-sets is suggested. The algo-
rithms are also useful for evaluating sensitivity coefficients.
Availability, MTBF and MTTR for repairable m out of n
system. PER A. KULLSTAM.IEEE Trans. Reliab. R-30 14), 393
(1981). The availability of a redundant system requiring m
out of n units to be operational represents a basic and ele-
mentary result within reliability engineering. The corres-
ponding mean time between system failures (MTBF) and
mean time of system restoral (MTTR) are less commonly
known since these results have either required the solution of
time-dependent system of equations or matrix algebra. This
short paper shows that explicitly results for the M T B F and
M T T R performance are as easy to obtain as the availability
for arbitrary m, n-values.
Limitations of minimal cut-set approach in evaluating reli-
ability of systems with repairable components. C.A.
CLAROTTI. IEEE Trans. Reliab. R-30 (4), 335 (1981). This
work shows that, when system components are repairable,
system reliability cannot be evaluated exactly by means of
the fault tree approach; only a system reliability lower bound
can be obtained.
Use of Q-GERT network simulation in reliability analysis.
EDWARD R. CLAYTON and JOHN W. COOLEY. IEEE Trans.
Reliab. R-30 (4), 321 (1981). Reliability analysis for all but the
simplest systems often is unmanageable. This paper proposes
Q - G E R T simulation for such analysis. Q - G E R T as opposed
to the original G E R T analysis, is a relatively easier network-
ing model. Thus, determining the reliability of both simple
and complex systems from individual component test data
lends itself quite readily to Q - G E R T analysis. Although the
examples are rather simple, mathematically tractable
systems, it is possible to extend Q - G E R T procedures to more
complex systems. The probability distributions for these
more complex systems may be either user defined or may be
chosen from any one of l l different predefined functions. The
only requirement for the use of Q - G E R T is that input data
describing the model be provided by the analyst. The basic
format of the Q - G E R T model facilitates this description of