This book describes the benefits and drawbacks inherent in the use of virtual platforms (VPs) to perform fast and early soft error assessment of multicore systems. The authors show that VPs provide engineers with appropriate means to investigate new and more efficient fault injection and mitigation techniques. Coverage also includes the use of machine learning techniques (e.g., linear regression) to speed-up the soft error evaluation process by pinpointing parameters (e.g., architectural) with the most substantial impact on the software stack dependability. This book provides valuable information and insight through more than 3 million individual scenarios and 2 million simulation-hours. Further, this book explores machine learning techniques usage to navigate large fault injection datasets.

This book describes an extensive and consistent soft error assessment of convolutional neural network (CNN) models from different domains through more than 14.8 million fault injections, considering different precision bit-width configurations, optimization parameters, and processor models. The authors also evaluate the relative performance, memory utilization, and soft error reliability trade-offs analysis of different CNN models considering a compiler-based technique w.r.t. traditional redundancy approaches.

Virtual platforms are finding widespread use in both pre- and post-silicon computer software and system development. They reduce time to market, improve system quality, make development more efficient, and enable truly concurrent hardware/software design and bring-up. Virtual platforms increase productivity with unparalleled inspection, configuration, and injection capabilities. In combination with other types of simulators, they provide full-system simulations where computer systems can be tested together with the environment in which they operate. This book is not only about what simulation is and why it is important, it will also cover the methods of building and using simulators for computer-based systems. Inside you'll find a comprehensive book about simulation best practice and design patterns, using Simics as its base along with real-life examples to get the most out of your Simics implementation. You'll learn about: Simics architecture, model-driven development, virtual platform modelling, networking, contiguous integration, debugging, reverse execution, simulator integration, workflow optimization, tool automation, and much more. - Distills decades of experience in using and building virtual platforms to help readers realize the full potential of virtual platform simulation - Covers modeling related use-cases including devices, systems, extensions, and fault injection - Explains how simulations can influence software development, debugging, system configuration, networking, and more - Discusses how to build complete full-system simulation systems from a mix of simulators

This book introduces the concept of approximate computing for software and hardware designs and its impact on the reliability of embedded systems. It presents approximate computing methods and proposes approximate fault tolerance techniques applied to programmable hardware and embedded software to provide reliability at low computational costs. The book also presents fault tolerance techniques based on approximate computing, thus presenting how approximate computing can be applied to safety-critical systems.

A holistic approach to service reliability and availability of cloud computing Reliability and Availability of Cloud Computing provides IS/IT system and solution architects, developers, and engineers with the knowledge needed to assess the impact of virtualization and cloud computing on service reliability and availability. It reveals how to select the most appropriate design for reliability diligence to assure that user expectations are met. Organized in three parts (basics, risk analysis, and recommendations), this resource is accessible to readers of diverse backgrounds and experience levels. Numerous examples and more than 100 figures throughout the book help readers visualize problems to better understand the topic—and the authors present risks and options in bulleted lists that can be applied directly to specific applications/problems. Special features of this book include: Rigorous analysis of the reliability and availability risks that are inherent in cloud computing Simple formulas that explain the quantitative aspects of reliability and availability Enlightening discussions of the ways in which virtualized applications and cloud deployments differ from traditional system implementations and deployments Specific recommendations for developing reliable virtualized applications and cloud-based solutions Reliability and Availability of Cloud Computing is the guide for IS/IT staff in business, government, academia, and non-governmental organizations who are moving their applications to the cloud. It is also an important reference for professionals in technical sales, product management, and quality management, as well as software and quality engineers looking to broaden their expertise.

This Open Access book introduces readers to many new techniques for enhancing and optimizing reliability in embedded systems, which have emerged particularly within the last five years. This book introduces the most prominent reliability concerns from today’s points of view and roughly recapitulates the progress in the community so far. Unlike other books that focus on a single abstraction level such circuit level or system level alone, the focus of this book is to deal with the different reliability challenges across different levels starting from the physical level all the way to the system level (cross-layer approaches). The book aims at demonstrating how new hardware/software co-design solution can be proposed to ef-fectively mitigate reliability degradation such as transistor aging, processor variation, temperature effects, soft errors, etc. Provides readers with latest insights into novel, cross-layer methods and models with respect to dependability of embedded systems; Describes cross-layer approaches that can leverage reliability through techniques that are pro-actively designed with respect to techniques at other layers; Explains run-time adaptation and concepts/means of self-organization, in order to achieve error resiliency in complex, future many core systems.

The Handbook of Software Aging and Rejuvenation provides a comprehensive overview of the subject, making it indispensable to graduate students as well as professionals in the field. It begins by introducing fundamental concepts, definitions, and the history of software aging and rejuvenation research, followed by methods, tools, and strategies that can be used to detect, analyze, and overcome software aging.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 20th Ada-Europe International Conference on Reliable Software Technologies, Ada-Europe 2015, held in Madrid, Spain, in June 2015. The revised 12 full papers presented together with two keynotes were carefully reviewed and selected from 36 submissions. They are organized in topical sections on language technology, real-time applications, critical systems, and multicore and distributed systems.

Soft errors are a multifaceted issue at the crossroads of applied physics and engineering sciences. Soft errors are by nature multiscale and multiphysics problems that combine not only nuclear and semiconductor physics, material sciences, circuit design, and chip architecture and operation, but also cosmic-ray physics, natural radioactivity issues, particle detection, and related instrumentation. Soft Errors: From Particles to Circuits addresses the problem of soft errors in digital integrated circuits subjected to the terrestrial natural radiation environment—one of the most important primary limits for modern digital electronic reliability. Covering the fundamentals of soft errors as well as engineering considerations and technological aspects, this robust text: Discusses the basics of the natural radiation environment, particle interactions with matter, and soft-error mechanisms Details instrumentation developments in the fields of environment characterization, particle detection, and real-time and accelerated tests Describes the latest computational developments, modeling, and simulation strategies for the soft error-rate estimation in digital circuits Explores trends for future technological nodes and emerging devices Soft Errors: From Particles to Circuits presents the state of the art of this complex subject, providing comprehensive knowledge of the complete chain of the physics of soft errors. The book makes an ideal text for introductory graduate-level courses, offers academic researchers a specialized overview, and serves as a practical guide for semiconductor industry engineers or application engineers.

Cyber-physical systems play a crucial role in connecting aspects of online life to physical life. By studying emerging trends in these systems, programming techniques can be optimized and strengthened to create a higher level of effectiveness. Solutions for Cyber-Physical Systems Ubiquity is a critical reference source that discusses the issues and challenges facing the implementation, usage, and challenges of cyber-physical systems. Highlighting relevant topics such as the Internet of Things, smart-card security, multi-core environments, and wireless sensor nodes, this scholarly publication is ideal for engineers, academicians, computer science students, and researchers that would like to stay abreast of current methodologies and trends involving cyber-physical system progression.