Calibrating software reliability models when the test environment does not match the user environment

Software failures have become the major factor that brings the system down or causes a degradation in the quality of service. For many applications, estimating the software failure rate from a user's perspective helps the development team evaluate the reliability of the software and determine the release time properly. Traditionally, software reliability growth models are applied to system test data with the hope of estimating the software failure rate in the field. Given the aggressive nature by which the software is exercised during system test, as well as unavoidable differences between the test environment and the field environment, the resulting estimate of the failure rate will not typically reflect the user‐perceived failure rate in the field. The goal of this work is to quantify the mismatch between the system test environment and the field environment. A calibration factor is proposed to map the failure rate estimated from the system test data to the failure rate that will be observed in the field. Non‐homogeneous Poisson process models are utilized to estimate the software failure rate in both the system test phase and the field. For projects that have only system test data, use of the calibration factor provides an estimate of the field failure rate that would otherwise be unavailable. For projects that have both system test data and previous field data, the calibration factor can be explicitly evaluated and used to estimate the field failure rate of future releases as their system test data becomes available. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

ROBUST GLOBAL EXPONENTIAL STABILITY OF UNCERTAIN IMPULSIVE SYSTEMS

By using the quasi-Lyapunov function, some sufficient conditions of global exponential stability for impulsive systems are established, which is the basis for the following discussion. Then, by employing Riccati inequality and Hamilton-Jacobi inequality approach, some sufficient conditions of robust exponential stability for uncertain linear/nonlinear impulsive systems are derived, respectively. Finally, some examples are given to illustrate the applications of the theory.     

Comparison of two models for managing reliability growth during product design

Relying on reliability growth testing to improve system designis neither usually effective nor efficient. Instead it is importantto design in reliability. This requires models to estimate reliabilitygrowth in the design that can be used to assess whether goalreliability will be achieved within the target timescale forthe design process. Many models have been developed for analysisof reliability growth on test, but there has been much lessattention given to reliability growth in design. This paperdescribes and compares two models: one motivated by the practicalengineering process; the other by extending the reasoning ofstatistical reliability growth modelling. Both models are referencedin the recently revised edition of international standard IEC61164. However, there has been no reported evaluation of theirproperties. Therefore, this paper explores the commonalitiesand differences between these models through an assessment oftheir logic and their application to an industrial example.Recommendations are given for the use of reliability growthmodels to aid management of the design process and to informproduct development.     

一种基于图论与熵的专家判断客观可信度的确定方法

本文给出一种群决策中确定专家判断可信度的方法，其主要思路是首先通过图论中最小生成树的方法提取专家判断矩阵的全部信息，其次，使用相对熵指标确定获得专家判断的最终结果，并同时衡量专家自身判断的统一程度，从而确定专家判断的相对客观可信度。最后，文章给出一个典型的算例以说明该方法的可行性和有效性。     

Collaborative distributed decision making for large scale disaster relief operations: Drawing analogies from robust natural systems

One of the most ignored, but urgent and vital challenges confronting society today is the vulnerability of urban areas to extreme events. Current organization of response systems, predominantly based on a command and control model, limits their effectiveness and efficiency. Particularly, in decision‐making processes where a large number of actors may be involved. In this article, a new distributed collaborative decision‐making model is proposed to overcome command and control limitations encountered in stressful, hostile, chaotic, and large‐scale settings. This model was derived by borrowing concepts from the collective decision making of honeybees foraging, a successful process in solving complex tasks within complex settings. The model introduced in this article was evaluated through differential equations, i.e., continuous analysis, and difference equations, i.e., discrete analysis. The most important result found is that the best available option in any large‐scale decision‐making problem can be configured as an attractor, in a distributed and timely manner. We suggest that the proposed model has the potential to facilitate decision‐making processes in large‐scale settings. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 11:28–38, 2005     

Robust Speed Control of a Low Damped Electromechanical System Based on CRONE Control: Application to a Four Mass Experimental Test Bench

Robust speed control of a low damped electromechanical system with backlash is studied, controlled load angular speed being not measured. The proposed control strategy combines a Luenberger observer (load angular speed and load torque disturbance estimations) and a robust CRONE controller. The observer provides estimation of the load angular speed and of the disturbance torque applied on the load. Through the computation of only three independent parameters (as many as a PID controller), the CRONE controller permits to ensure the robust speed control of the load in spite of plant parametric variations and speed observation errors. The proposed control strategy is applied to a four mass experimental test bench.     

Upper Bounds of the Pursuer Control Based on a Linear-Quadratic Differential Game

Differential game formulations provide an adequate basis for a guidance law synthesis against highly maneuvering targets. This paper deals with a guidance law based on a linear-quadratic differential game formulation. This guidance law has many attractive properties: it is continuous, linear with respect to the state variables, and its gain coefficients can be precalculated offline. Nevertheless, due to the lack of hard control constraints in the formulation, the magnitude of the control can exceed the admissible level imposed by the nature of the problem. In this paper, the upper bound of the interceptor control is obtained depending on the system parameters and the penalty coefficients of the game performance index. It is shown that the interceptor can guarantee an arbitrarily small miss distance without exceeding the control constraints if it has sufficient maneuverability and if the penalty coefficients are chosen properly. By manipulating the penalty coefficients, it is possible to reduce significantly the maneuverability requirements compared to the case of zero interceptor penalty coefficient.     

一类It型非线性时滞关联随机大系统的分散鲁棒控制

在非线性项满足全局Lipschitz条件下,本文研究了一类It型非线性时滞关联随机大系统的分散鲁棒控制问题.系统的时滞是关于状态和控制输入的.基于Lyapunov泛函及线性矩阵不等式(LMI)的分析方法,得到了无记忆状态反馈控制器使整个时滞关联随机大系统可镇定的充分条件.     

一类二元相关威布尔分布的可靠性问题

本文考虑生存函数为${\ol{F}(x_{1},x_{2})}=\exp\{-[(x_{1}^{1/\alpha}/\theta_{1})^{1/\delta}+(x_{2}^{1/\alpha}/\theta_{2})^{1/\delta}]^{\delta}\},\;x_{i}>0,\;\alpha>0$, $1\geq\delta>0,\;\theta_{i}>0\;(i=1,2)$的二元威布尔分布的两种可靠性问题, 提出可靠度$\pr$的估计并讨论了它们的渐近性, 最后还作了模拟计算.     

抽样调查中最佳测量次数的确定

现场抽样调查中，由于测量误差的存在，使得所测变量实测值的方差增大，通过增加每个体的测量次数可以控制测量误差，但这样每个体调查费用增大。本文对测量信度Ｒ，每个体测量次数ｍ与相应所需的样本含量ｎｍ、调查费用Ｔｎ的关系进行了探讨，并介绍了如何根据Ｒ，及每个体测量费用占其总费用构成比Ｃ，确定最佳测量次数ｍ值，以达到最佳控制调查费用的目的，这对我们在大型现场调查中进行经济效益分析具有重大的理论指导意义。