Approximate Availability Analysis of VAXcluster Systems

TitleApproximate Availability Analysis of VAXcluster Systems
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication1989
AuthorsOC Ibe, RC Howe, and KS Trivedi
JournalIEEE Transactions on Reliability
Volume38
Issue1
Start Page146
Pagination146 - 152
Date Published01/1989
Abstract

We solve for the availability of an n-processor VAXcluster system using a hierarchical approach that allows us to: 1) obtain a closed-form answer to an apparently difficult problem, and 2) determine the optimal number of processors in the cluster for a given set of cluster parameters. Our novel approach is a 2-level hierarchical model in which the lower-level model is a 9-state Markov chain that is solved in a closed form. The 9-state Markov chain is then aggregated into a 3-state device analogous to a diode. Subsequently, the system availability is computed by analyzing a simple network. © 1989 IEEE

DOI10.1109/24.24588
Short TitleIEEE Transactions on Reliability