Safety analysis of heterogeneous-multiprocessor control system software

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Authors
Gill, Janet A.
Subjects
Software Safety
Petri Net
Fault Tree
Software Engineering
Integrated System Analysis
Advisors
Shimeall, Timothy J.
Date of Issue
1990-12
Date
December 1990
Publisher
Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
Fault trees and Petri nets are two widely accepted graphical tools used in the safety analysis of software. Because some software is life and property critical, thorough analysis techniques are essential. Independently Petri nets and fault trees serve limited evaluation purposes. This thesis presents a technique that converts and links Petri nets to fault trees and fault trees to Petri nets. It enjoys the combinational benefits of both analysis tools. Software Fault Tree Analysis and timed Petri nets facilitate software safety analysis in heterogeneous multiprocessor control systems. Analysis use a Petri net to graphically organize the selected software. A fault tree supports a hazardous condition with subsequent leaf node paths that lead to the hazard. Through the combination of Petri nets and fault trees, an analyst can determine a software fault if he can reach an undesired Petri net state, comparable with the fault tree root fault, from an initial marking. All transitions leading to the undesired state from the initial marking must be enabled and the states must be marked that represent the leaf nodes of the fault tree path. It is not the intention of this thesis to suggest that an analyst be replaced by an automated tool. There must be analyst interaction focusing the analyst's insight and experience on the hazards of a system. This method is proposed only as a tool for evaluation during the overall safety analysis.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Department of Computer Science
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
x, 52 p. ill.
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.
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