ISSN 1842-4562
Member of DOAJ

Modeling the Reliability of Information Management Systems based on Mission Specific Tools Set Software


Cezar VASILESCU


Keywords

reliability modeling, increase of software applications reliability, increase of software applications reliability, application software tools, mission+specific+tools+set

Abstract

The operational environments in which information management systems operate determine the existence of complex situations. Consequently, the command and control flow can take different paths, which involve different “sets” of activities. Each of those activities is associated with a specific software application set, known as Application Software Tools (ASTs). An operational profile represents a sequence of specific processing of distinct activities (from a functional point of view), based on specific Application Software Tools and with a certain time limit interval. Each operational profile has associated a probability of occurrence. Each activity is performed during a specified period of time, with specific sets of ASTs. Totality resulting AST specification due to operational profiles crowd formed a mission specific software application system, also known as a Mission Specific Tools Set (MSTS). Each MSTS’s element fulfill functions that meet the corresponding command and control activities, found in the form of lists of features of the system operational profile. The aim of this paper is to present an original MSTS reliability model, which combines the modelling approach based on operational profiles with Rome Research Laboratory software reliability modeling methodology. In this way, it was realized a dual representation of application set’s reliability that quantifies its level of reliability and also the associated weights of each application. The final goal was to offer an adequate basis for the process of reliability growth. This paper is also going to provide a calculus example of MSTS system reliability using a representative U.S. Navy C4ISR system’s combat action (Time Critical Targeting). The case study demonstrates the validity and the usefulness of the model in order to increase the system’s reliability.



(top)