Computing and IT in the Workplace

CT006-1

Real-time Systems

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this section, YOU should be able to:

Explain the important concepts in Real-time Computing

specifically on dependability, fault tolerance and fault
types.

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Topics we will cover

Real-time Systems
Concepts: Real-time systems, Dependability, Fault
Tolerance , and Fault types

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Real-time Systems - Introduction

Real-time systems are defined as those systems in

which the correctness of the system depends not
only on the logical result of computation, but also
on the time at which the results are produced.
Real-time systems are usually classified as being
hard, soft and firm.

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Hard real-time systems

In which , no deadline misses are tolerated.

A single flight error might be fatal.
Example: Aircraft control systems, Missile delivery
system

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Firm real-time systems

Firm real-time systems also allow occasional

deadline misses but discards tasks that are not
finished by their deadlines
Example: Banking Systems, Timetable Scheduling

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Soft real-time systems

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Hard RTS
Zero Utility value after deadline

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Soft RTS
Decreasing Utility value after deadline

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NonRTS
Utility value remains constant

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Dependable Systems?
A system is dependable when it is trustworthy enough that
reliance can be placed on the service that it delivers. For a
system to be dependable, it must be
Available - e.g., ready for use when we need it.
Reliable - e.g., able to provide continuity of service
while we are using it.
Safe - e.g., does not have a catastrophic consequence
on the environment.
Secure - e.g., able to preserve confidentiality.

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Why dependability?
In safety-critical applications - such as flight control,
medical life support (medical equipments),
telecommunication switching, and on-line transaction
processing systems - failure of computing resources can
cost lives and/or money.

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Availability
Availability is a measure of the delivery of proper service
with respect to the alternation of proper and improper
service. In other words, it is the probability of being
operational at a given instant of time.
A 0.999999 availability means that the system is not
operational at most one hour in a million hours.
Soft real-time systems such as telephone switching and
airline reservation require high availability.

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Reliability
Hard real-time systems such as flight control and
process control demand high reliability, in which a failure
could mean loss of life.
Continuity of correct service
Highly reliable systems are used in situations in which
repair cannot take place (e.g. spacecraft) or in which the
computer is performing a critical function for which even
the small amount of time lost due to repairs cannot be
tolerated (e.g. flight-control computers).

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Safe
Absence of catastrophes for users and
environment
Many process control systems, such as
those used for chemical plants, sending
people into space or for controlling nuclear
power plants, are required to provide a
high degree of safety.

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Secure
Confidentiality
Integrity
consistency of actions

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Food for thought

Question: can a system be
highly available but unreliable?
highly reliable but unavailable?

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What is a fault?
An error is the part of a systems total
state that may lead to a failure
A failure occurs when the error causes the
delivered service to deviate from correct
service
The cause of the error is called a fault
Fault Error Failure

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Fault Tolerance (Robustness)

A system built with fault tolerance capabilities will
manage to keep operating, perhaps at a degraded level,
in the presence of these faults.
In other words, fault-tolerance is informally defined as
the ability of a system to deliver the expected service
even in the presence of faults.
For a system to be fault-tolerant, it must be able to
detect, diagnose, and recover from faults.

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Fault types: Permanent faults are caused by device failures within a

component due to damage or improper manufacturing.
Once a permanent fault has occurred, the faulty
component can be restored by replacement or repair.
remains until repair

Transient faults are triggered by environmental

disturbances such as voltage fluctuations, electromagnetic interference, or radiation. These events typically
have a short duration, returning the affected circuitry to a
normal operating state without causing any lasting
damage.
exists and then disappears
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Fault types:-

Intermittent faults happen due to design errors that

result in marginal or unstable hardware.
Example: fault due to a loose wire.
repeatedly; disappears in between

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Software Faults
Software faults are caused by incorrect design, or
coding of a program.
Bugs

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Error Recovery
Error recovery is the process by which the system
attempts to recover from the effects of an error.
Forward error recovery:
In this approach, the error is masked without any
computations having to be redone.
Backward error recovery:
In this approach, the system is rolled back to a state
before the error is believed to have occurred and the
computation is carried out again.
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Embedded Systems

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Typical Real-Time System

Con trolled System
sensor
sensor
sensor
Controlling
System

sensor
actuator
actuator
actuator
actuator

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Environment

A typical real-time system

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RTS Application

Example Car driver

Mission: Reaching the destination safely.
Controlled System: Car.
Operating environment: Road
conditions.

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RTS Application
Controlling System
Human driver: Sensors - Eyes and Ears of
the driver.
Computer: Sensors - Cameras, Infrared
receiver, and Laser telemeter.

Controls: Accelerator, Steering wheel,

Break-pedal.
Actuators: Wheels, Engines, and Brakes.
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RTS Application
Critical tasks (Hard): Steering and
breaking.
Immediate tasks (Firm): Lights, signal
lights, wiper
Non-critical tasks (Soft): Turning on
radio.

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RTS Application
Performance is not an absolute one. It
measures the goodness of the outcome
relative to the best outcome possible
under a given circumstance.
Cost of fulfilling the mission Efficient
solution.
Reliability of the driver Fault-tolerance
is a must.
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Review Questions

Explain the important concepts in Real-time

Computing specifically on dependability, fault
tolerance and fault types.

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Question and Answer Session

Q&A
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What we will cover next

Topic and Structure of next session
Artificial Intelligent 1

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