An Exact Reliability Block Diagram Calculation Tool to Design Very Complex Systems

Abstract

In this study, the novel ERBDC method is introduced as a tool both to compute exact (s-t) reliability for a network, which is important in the design of even moderately sized networks, and to redesign an existing network. This talk examines very complex network designs or imbedded systems such as in the topology of an Internet service grid or a chip design for calculating s-node (source) to t-node (target) availability. The ERBDC method is a tool which reduces any complex system to a series reliability block diagram, by first finding all existing paths and then trimming all the redundant or protruding component duplications through an algorithm to finally calculate an exact reliability, favorably compared to conventionally employed upper bound calculations (theoretically feasible but practically infeasible) with respect to path set and cut set formulations. All node to node availabilities are calculated. Then, weaker node to node paths are then reinforced and the resulting network designs are compared to the original ones in terms of node to node availability.