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Application semantic driven assertions toward fault tolerant computing

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Goutam Kumar SahaAuthors Info & Claims

Ubiquity, Volume 2006, Issue June

Article No.: 1, Pages 1 - 27

https://doi.org/10.1145/1147991.1143395

Published: 01 June 2006 Publication History

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Abstract

Based on semantics of an application processing logic, we find out the most critical and sensitive parts of an application and we derive set of conditions or assertions among the various diagnostic checkpoint variables and we enhance the processing logic to enable it to detect run-time various operational or environmental faults toward fault tolerant computing. This paper examines how a single-version algorithm can establish software based fault tolerance by designing in thoughtful software based execution-time checks in a computing application. The algorithm developed here relies on various assertions that are derived from the semantics of an application. Various diagnostic assertive checkpoints have been derived based on an application's semantics. This work is not intended to correct bit-errors using conventional error correction codes. Errors have been detected through checkpoints and periodical execution of an application with known test data and verification of observed result with known result thereof. Electrical transients or small particles hitting the circuit, often cause random errors or faults in data and program flow. The manuscript describes an algorithm that allows the detection and recovery of transient or operational failures in software on a specific problem, just by using one version of a software program running on just one machine. This approach does not aim to tolerate software design bugs. This algorithmic approach uses various run-time signatures and validation thereof in order to detect faults.

References

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Digital Library

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{2} Goutam K Saha, "EMP -Fault Tolerant Computing: A New Approach," Journal of Microelectronic Systems Integration, Vol. 5, Number 3, 1997, pp.183-193, Plenum Press, USA.

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{5} B. Randell, et al., "Reliability in Computing System Design," ACM Computing Surveys, Vol. 10, Number 2, 1985, pp. 374-382.

Digital Library

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{6} Goutam Kumar Saha, "Low-Cost, Fault Tolerance Applications," IEEE Potentials, vol. 24, no. 4, November 2005, pp. 35-39.

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{7} M. Zenha Rela, H. Madeira, J.G. Silva, "Experimental Evaluation of the Fail-Silent Behavior in Programs with Consistency Checks", Proc. FTCS-26, 1996, pp. 394-403.

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{10} D.K. Pradhan, "Fault-Tolerant Computer System Design", Prentice Hall PTR, 1996.

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{11} Goutam Kumar Saha, "Software Implemented Fault Tolerance Through Data Error Recovery," ACM Ubiquity, Vol. 6 (35), ACM Press, USA, 2005.

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{12} Goutam Kumar Saha, "Transient Fault Tolerance in Mobile Agent Based Computing," INFOCOMP Journal of Computer Science, Vol. 4, no.4, UFLA, Brazil, 2005, pp. 1-11.

[13]

{13} Goutam Kumar Saha, "Fault Tolerance in Web Services," ACM Ubiquity, Vol. 7 (9), ACM Press, USA, 2006.

[14]

{14} Goutam Kumar Saha, "Software Based Fault Tolerant Computing," ACM Ubiquity, Vol. 6 (40), ACM Press, USA, 2005.

Digital Library

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{15} Goutam Kumar Saha, "Transient Software Fault Tolerance Using Single-Version Algorithm," ACM Ubiquity, Vol. 6 (28), ACM Press, USA, 2005.

Digital Library

[16]

{16} Goutam Kumar Saha, "Transient Fault Tolerance Through Recovery," ACM Ubiquity, Vol. 6 (35), ACM Press, USA, 2005.

[17]

{17} Goutam Kumar Saha, "A Software Fix Towards Fault Tolerant Computing," ACM Ubiquity, Vol. 6 (16), ACM Press, USA, 2005.

Digital Library

[18]

{18} Goutam Kumar Saha, "Software Based Fault Tolerant Array," IEEE Potentials, Vol. 25 (1), IEEE Press, USA, 2006.

[19]

{19} Goutam Kumar Saha, "Transient Fault Tolerance Through Algorithms," to appear in IEEE Potentials, USA, 2006.

[20]

{20} D.W. Bradley, C. Ortega-Sanchez and A.M. Tyrrell, "Embryonics + Imunotronics: A Bio-Inspired Approach to Fault Tolerance," In Proceedings of 2nd NASA/DoD Workshop on Evolvable Hardware, July 2000.

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{21} Z. Alkhalifa, V.S.S. Nair, N. Krishnamurthi, J.A. Abraham, "Design and Evaluation of System - Level Checks for On-line Control Flow Error Detection, IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems, Vol.10 (6), Jun 1999, pp. 627-641.

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{22} R. Reddy, R. France, G. George, "An Aspect Oriented Approach to Analyzing Dependability Features," Proceedings of the AOM-AOSD, 2005.

Cited By

Hu WCarver JAnu VWalia GBradshaw G(2018)Using human error information for error preventionEmpirical Software Engineering10.1007/s10664-018-9623-823:6(3768-3800)Online publication date: 27-Dec-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10664-018-9623-8
Saha G(2008)Software-Implemented Fault Detection ApproachesUbiquity10.1145/1386853.13761452008:May(1-1)Online publication date: 6-May-2008
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1386853.1376145
Saha G(2008)Software-based, low-cost fault detection for microprocessorsIEEE Potentials10.1109/MPOT.2007.91125627:1(37-41)Online publication date: Jan-2008
https://doi.org/10.1109/MPOT.2007.911256
Show More Cited By

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Published In

cover image Ubiquity

Ubiquity Volume 2006, Issue June

June 2006

68 pages

EISSN:1530-2180

DOI:10.1145/1147991

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Copyright © 2006 Author.

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 01 June 2006

Published in UBIQUITY Volume 2006, Issue June

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Cited By

Hu WCarver JAnu VWalia GBradshaw G(2018)Using human error information for error preventionEmpirical Software Engineering10.1007/s10664-018-9623-823:6(3768-3800)Online publication date: 27-Dec-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10664-018-9623-8
Saha G(2008)Software-Implemented Fault Detection ApproachesUbiquity10.1145/1386853.13761452008:May(1-1)Online publication date: 6-May-2008
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1386853.1376145
Saha G(2008)Software-based, low-cost fault detection for microprocessorsIEEE Potentials10.1109/MPOT.2007.91125627:1(37-41)Online publication date: Jan-2008
https://doi.org/10.1109/MPOT.2007.911256
Saha G(2007)Replicated instruction based fault tolerant computingUbiquity10.1145/1276162.12761652007:June(1-1)Online publication date: 1-Jun-2007
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1276162.1276165
Saha G(2007)Self-healing SoftwareUbiquity10.1145/1232048.12418532007:March(1-1)Online publication date: 1-Mar-2007
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1232048.1241853
Saha G(2006)Software based fault toleranceUbiquity10.1145/1149633.11479952006:July(1-1)Online publication date: 1-Jul-2006
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1149633.1147995

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