Formal methods in the development of safety critical software systems
- Software Engineering Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
As the use of computers in critical control systems such as aircraft controls, medical instruments, defense systems, missile controls, and nuclear power plants has increased, concern for the safety of those systems has also grown. Much of this concern has focused on the software component of those computer-based systems. This is primarily due to historical experience with software systems that often exhibit larger numbers of errors than their hardware counterparts and the fact that the consequences of a software error may endanger human life, property, or the environment. A number of different techniques have been used to address the issue of software safety. Some are standard software engineering techniques aimed at reducing the number of faults in a software protect, such as reviews and walkthroughs. Others, including fault tree analysis, are based on identifying and reducing hazards. This report examines the role of one such technique, formal methods, in the development of software for safety critical systems. The use of formal methods to increase the safety of software systems is based on their role in reducing the possibility of software errors that could lead to hazards.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States); Software Engineering Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 6480916
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-CR-109416; ON: DE93012314
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
AIRCRAFT
COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS
COMPUTER CODES
ERRORS
SAFETY
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
ENVIRONMENT
FAULT TREE ANALYSIS
HAZARDS
CONTROL SYSTEMS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ON-LINE CONTROL SYSTEMS
ON-LINE SYSTEMS
POWER PLANTS
SYSTEM FAILURE ANALYSIS
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
220400* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Control Systems
990200 - Mathematics & Computers