Course syllabus - Design of Fault Tolerant Systems

Objectives

The aim of the course is to give the students advanced knowledge and skills within design and verification of fault tolerant systems such that they can transfer theories from one safety critical domain to another. The aim is also to provide the students with analysis methods such that they can determine and argue for when safety-critical requirements are met.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, the student shall be able to:

1. implement existing methods for fail-safe designs,
2. compare different fault tolerant concepts and their ability to mitigate failure effects,
3. argue for redundancy concepts in fault tolerant architectures,
4. implement safety requirements and evaluate how these are taken care of and verified, and
5. determine when the dependability requirements are fulfilled.

Course content

The course covers different types of faults and possible error sources (technology, human and environment). Different types of faults are addressed with fault tolerance mechanisms for systems, hardware and software components. This gives a solid base for understanding how to design safety-critical systems. In addition, the course investigates the notion of sufficiently safe, through experiments with redundancy principles and tailor-made fault tolerant mechanisms.

Specific requirements

Completed courses summing to 160 credits in natural sciences and/or engineering, including 30 credits in computer science and/or electronics. Robust Electronics for Dependable Systems, 7.5 credits, Development of safety-critical systems, of which 3.5 credits must be completed before the course starts, and Safety-Critical Systems, 7.5 credits, of which 3.5 credits must be completed before the course starts. In addition Swedish course 3 or Swedish level 3 and English course 6 or English level 2 are required. For courses given entirely in English exemption is made from the requirement in Swedish course 3 or Swedish level 3.

Examination

OVN1, Exercise, A series of exercises where methods for fail-safe designs are implemented and compared in regards of their ability to mitigate failure effects, 1.5 credits, examines the learning outcomes 1-2, marks Fail (U) or Pass (G).
OVN2, Exercise, A series of exercises in argumentation for redundancy concepts and implementation, judgement and evaluation of safety-critical requirements, 2.5 credits, examines the learning outcomes 3-5, marks Fail (U) or Pass (G).
Written on-campus examination (TEN1), 3.5 credits, examines the learning outcomes 2-5, marks Fail (U), 3, 4 or 5.

A student who has a certificate from MDU regarding disability study support, can request adaptions for the examination. It is the examiner who takes decisions on any adaptions, based on the certificate and other conditions.

Grade

Grading scale: 5, 4, 3

Interim Regulations and Other Regulations

The course completely overlaps with FLA432 Design of fault tolerant systems.

The course can be counted within the subject area of electronics.
The course can be counted within the technology area of dependable systems.