Reliability Analysis in Distributed Systems Using Fuzzy Set Theory
ZULFIQAR SATTI · Journal of King Abdulaziz University-Engineering Sciences · 2001
Distributed systems can be modelled as a collection of different objects (resources) that are interconnected via a communication network and controlled by a distributed operating system. Amoeba, Athena, Mach and V System are some examples of real world distributed systems. They provide cost-effective means for resource sharing and extensibility. This study focuses on the reliability issue in distributed systems and develops an efficient algorithm for evaluating reliability using fuzzy set theory. With processing elements and communication links having each a certain probability of being operational, there is a certain probability with the extent that it can be successfully executed, also the distribution of the programs and data files affect a program?s reliability as well as the overall system?s reliability. Distributed System?s Reliability (DSR), which is a reliability measure of the entire system, is defined as the probability that all distributed programs of a given set can run successfully without any fault or error. A unified approach based on a graph model has been developed to generate all the required subgraphs for successful execution of all the programs under consideration. These subgraphs are then used to evaluate the reliability using any terminal reliability algorithm based on path enumeration.