Redundancy and Diversity

This comprehensive quiz evaluates key concepts of redundancy and diversity in sociotechnical system dependability, covering strategies, trade-offs, and real-world implementations

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Views #: 6

Questions #: 8

Time: 10 minutes

Pass Score: 80.0%

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Airbus A340 vs. Boeing 777 Avionics Approaches

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In safety-critical avionics, engineers use different design philosophies to achieve system dependability. Based on industry approaches to flight control systems, how does the Boeing 777 design philosophy differ from the Airbus A340 approach?

Both aircraft use identical diverse software, but Boeing runs it on non-redundant servers.

The Boeing 777 uses diverse software across single hardware, while Airbus uses redundant hardware only.

The Boeing 777 focuses on software simplicity and extensive validation across redundant hardware, whereas Airbus uses both diverse hardware and diverse software.

The Boeing 777 completely avoids hardware redundancy, whereas Airbus relies purely on static analysis tools.

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Software Complexity Trade-offs

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While redundancy and diversity are strategies to prevent single points of failure, adding them to software systems introduces new risks. What is a major risk or drawback introduced by using software redundancy and diversity?

It increases system complexity, making it more likely that programmers introduce errors and that code reviewers miss them.

It completely eliminates the ability to use static analysis and code checking tools.

It forces systems to rely exclusively on single-server architectures.

It causes hardware components to burn out significantly faster.

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Core Definitions of System Diversity

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Dependability strategies often pair redundancy with diversity. Which of the following best defines 'diversity' in sociotechnical system engineering?

Replacing physical hardware components strictly before the end of their predicted lifetime.

Writing single-threaded code to reduce system execution overhead.

Ensuring redundant components of a system are of different types or implementations to prevent identical failure modes.

Including extra spare capacity in a system that can be activated if part of the primary system fails.

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Role of Checking Code in Software Dependability

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Engineers often insert checking code into dependable software systems even though it is not strictly required for basic functionality. Which of the following functions are performed by checking code?

Detecting problems like data corruption before they cause overall system failures.

Invoking recovery mechanisms to correct problems and maintain system operation.

Physically repairing hardware components when they burn out.

Eliminating the need for software validation and program testing.

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Server High Availability and Security Diversity

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To maximize availability and guard against security threats, critical networks deploy redundant backup servers running different operating systems. Why is this diverse multi-OS strategy used?

To force hardware components to wear out at identical rates.

To achieve both software diversity and system redundancy across server infrastructure.

To ensure that an attack or bug exploiting a specific OS vulnerability does not bring down all redundant servers.

To lower the overall financial cost of software development and system licensing.

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Process Diversity Techniques in Validation

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Dependable software development processes use 'process diversity' during validation to prevent human errors from introducing unaddressed faults. Which activities can be combined to achieve process diversity?

Program testing

Manual program inspections

Static analysis tools

Having the exact same reviewer use an identical inspection checklist for all reviews

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Software Wear-out and Design Philosophy

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Unlike physical hardware components, software does not suffer from physical wear and tear over time. Why do some engineers use this fact to argue against software redundancy and diversity?

Because simple software eliminates the need for redundant hardware components.

Because redundant software automatically prevents human errors during system specification.

Because software does not physically wear out like hardware, making physical component aging irrelevant to software bugs.

Because financial savings from avoiding complex redundant software can be reinvested into rigorous verification and validation.

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Everyday Examples of Redundancy and Diversity

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Redundancy and diversity are common strategies in daily life. Which of the following everyday practices correctly demonstrate both redundancy and diversity?

Using a single lock on the front door and an identical model on the back door.

Securing a door with multiple locks (redundancy) where the locks are of different mechanical types (diversity).

Replacing door keys periodically before they wear out physically.

Backing up computer files (redundancy) by storing the secondary copy on a separate, diverse external device type (diversity).

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Undergraduate Year 11 Year 12

Airbus A340 vs. Boeing 777 Avionics Approaches

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Software Complexity Trade-offs

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Core Definitions of System Diversity

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Role of Checking Code in Software Dependability

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Server High Availability and Security Diversity

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Process Diversity Techniques in Validation

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Software Wear-out and Design Philosophy

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Everyday Examples of Redundancy and Diversity

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