Software reliability: modern challenges

The evolution of computer technology is creating for safety-critical systems new challenges and different types of failure modes. Modern computer processors are often delivered with errors, while intelligent hardware subsystems may exhibit nondeterministic behaviour. Operating systems and programming languages are becoming increasingly complicated and their implementations less trustworthy. In addition, componentbased multi-tier software system architectures exponentially increase the number of failure modes, while Internet connectivity exposes systems to malicious attacks. Finally, IT outsourcing and blind reliance on standards can provide developers with a false sense of security. Planning in advance for the new challenges is as important as embracing the new technology. In G. I. Schuëller and P. Kafka, editors, Proceedings ESREL ’99 — The Tenth European Conference on Safety and Reliability, pages 589–592, MunichGarching, Germany, September 1999. ESRA, VDI, TUM, A. A. Balkema. This is a machine-readable rendering of a working paper draft that led to a publication. The publication should always be cited in preference to this draft using the above reference. This material is presented to ensure timely dissemination of scholarly and technical work. Copyright and all rights therein are retained by authors or by other copyright holders. All persons copying this information are expected to adhere to the terms and constraints invoked by each author’s copyright. In most cases, these works may not be reposted without the explicit permission of the copyright