Abstract: Transient survivability metrics are used to select improvements to distributed computer architecture designs. The approach combines survivability analysis and software aging and rejuvenation analysis to assess the survivability of the distributed computer architecture network. Available investment decisions are then automatically optimized with respect to survivability and investment costs.

Abstract: For patch management of an industrial control system, predicted temporal evolution of risk due to vulnerability is provided to industrial control system operators to help schedule patching. A Markov chain representing the temporal evolution uses asset (e.g., industrial control system component) specific information to determine risk over time. This risk information may be used to prioritize and/or schedule patching. The operator is provided more information to help manage patching of the industrial control system, allowing better balancing of risk with manufacturing burden.

Abstract: Improvements to a distributed automation power grid are selected to improve storm survivability. Using historical information about storms, link sets are determined that, when added to the power grid, would restore connectivity after damage by each of the storms. One of the link sets is then selected based on costs and rewards, and is added to a grid representation. Survivability of the modified grid representation is then estimated, and additional link sets are determined and selected until survivability surpasses a minimum level or a budget is exceeded.

Abstract: For patch management of an industrial control system, predicted temporal evolution of risk due to vulnerability is provided to industrial control system operators to help schedule patching. A Markov chain representing the temporal evolution uses asset (e.g., industrial control system component) specific information to determine risk over time. This risk information may be used to prioritize and/or schedule patching. The operator is provided more information to help manage patching of the industrial control system, allowing better balancing of risk with manufacturing burden.

Abstract: Transient survivability metrics are used to select improvements to distribution automation network designs. The approach combines survivability analysis and power flow analysis to assess the survivability of the distribution power grid network. Available investment decisions are then automatically optimized with respect to survivability and investment costs.

Abstract: Improvements to a distributed automation power grid are selected to improve storm survivability. Using historical information about storms, link sets are determined that, when added to the power grid, would restore connectivity after damage by each of the storms. One of the link sets is then selected based on costs and rewards, and is added to a grid representation. Survivability of the modified grid representation is then estimated, and additional link sets are determined and selected until survivability surpasses a minimum level or a budget is exceeded.

Abstract: A method for assessing survivability of a distributed automation power grid due to a failure including: identifying a location of a failed section of a grid and isolating the section; aggregating sections of the grid downstream from the failed section into a first group and sections of the grid upstream from the failed section into a second group; computing, using a Markov chain, a first parameter indicating whether a communication network of the grid is operational after the failure; computing, using a Markov chain, a second parameter indicating whether enough backup energy exists for the second group after the failure; and computing, using a Markov chain, a third parameter based on the first and second parameters, wherein the third parameter is indicative of the time required for the grid to be restored to its operating state prior to the failure, and the third parameter is computed by evaluating ESAIDI ? ( ? ) = ? j = 1 C ? ? ? j ? ? ? ( M _ j ? ( ? ) D _ j ? ( ? ) )

Abstract: A method for assessing an impact of a security attack on a system includes defining a system affecting metric for an observation period as a fraction of time the system satisfies a defined specification, defining a resource failure based model and a resource usage based model for the system, obtaining results for each of a plurality of states of the resource failure based model and the resource usage based model, solving the resource failure based model and the resource usage based model and obtaining a term fraction of time each model spends on each of the plurality of states, obtaining a state probability according to the term fraction, and obtaining a measure of the system affecting metric according to the state probability.

Abstract: A method for assessing the survivability of a distributed automation power grid in response to a failure. The method including: generating a failure in a section of a grid; identifying the location of the section and isolating the section; aggregating sections of the grid downstream from the failed section into a first group and sections of the grid upstream from the failed section into a second group; computing, using a Markov chain, a first parameter indicating whether a communication network of the grid is operational after the failure; computing, using a Markov chain, a second parameter indicating whether enough backup energy exists for the second group after the failure; and computing, using a Markov chain, a third parameter based on the first and second parameters, wherein the third parameter is indicative of the time required for the grid to be restored to its operating state prior to the failure.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the quality-of-service (QoS) of high priority transactions in a software system includes receiving a specific QoS metric of a high priority transaction, where the QoS metric associated with a plurality of buckets and comparing the sampled specific QoS metric to an expected value for the specific QoS metric. If the sampled specific QoS metric exceeds the corresponding expected value, a bucket for the specific QoS metric is incremented, otherwise the bucket is decremented. If the bucket for the specific QoS metric overflows, the current bucket is reinitialized to zero, a depth of a next bucket for the specific QoS metric is computed, and a number of standard deviations from a mean value for the specific QoS metric is incremented. When the bucket for the specific QoS metric exceeds a threshold, a software rejuvenation routine is executed.

Abstract: A method for developing a software project includes identifying business cases and goals for the software project, defining a common interface architecture through which components of the software project are to be integrated, identifying software project components to be integrated over the common interface, defining high level requirements of the project components, elaborating the component interfaces and defining detailed component requirements, implementing the project components, testing the project components individually, defining integration tests for testing integrated components, and executing the integration tests on a set of integrated components.

Abstract: A method for detecting security intrusions and soft faults in a software system includes receiving a multi-dimensional performance signature built from operating system metrics sampled by a software system monitoring infrastructure, associating a plurality of buckets with each component of the performance signature, comparing a component of the sampled performance signature to an expected value for the performance signature component, where a bucket for the performance signature component is incremented if the sampled performance signature component exceeds the corresponding expected value, and the bucket for the performance signature component is decremented if the sampled performance signature component is less than the corresponding expected value, executing a security alert notification when the bucket for the performance signature component exceeds a first threshold, and executing a soft-fault notification when the bucket for the performance signature component exceeds a second threshold, where the first

Abstract: A method for assessing an impact of a security attack on a system includes defining a system affecting metric for an observation period as a fraction of time the system satisfies a defined specification, defining a resource failure based model and a resource usage based model for the system, obtaining results for each of a plurality of states of the resource failure based model and the resource usage based model, solving the resource failure based model and the resource usage based model and obtaining a term fraction of time each model spends on each of the plurality of states, obtaining a state probability according to the term fraction, and obtaining a measure of the system affecting metric according to the state probability.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for triggering a software rejuvenation system and/or method includes receiving a request for resources, determining an estimated response time to the request for resources, determining that the estimated response time is greater than a first threshold, determining that a number of estimated response times greater than the first threshold is greater than or equal to a dynamic second threshold, and triggering the software rejuvenation system and/or method.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the quality-of-service (QoS) of high priority transactions in a software system includes receiving a specific QoS metric of a high priority transaction, where the QoS metric associated with a plurality of buckets and comparing the sampled specific QoS metric to an expected value for the specific QoS metric. If the sampled specific QoS metric exceeds the corresponding expected value, a bucket for the specific QoS metric is incremented, otherwise the bucket is decremented. If the bucket for the specific QoS metric overflows, the current bucket is reinitialized to zero, a depth of a next bucket for the specific QoS metric is computed, and a number of standard deviations from a mean value for the specific QoS metric is incremented. When the bucket for the specific QoS metric exceeds a threshold, a software rejuvenation routine is executed.

Abstract: A method for detecting security intrusions and soft faults in a software system includes receiving a multi-dimensional performance signature built from operating system metrics sampled by a software system monitoring infrastructure, associating a plurality of buckets with each component of the performance signature, comparing a component of the sampled performance signature to an expected value for the performance signature component, where a bucket for the performance signature component is incremented if the sampled performance signature component exceeds the corresponding expected value, and the bucket for the performance signature component is decremented if the sampled performance signature component is less than the corresponding expected value, executing a security alert notification when the bucket for the performance signature component exceeds a first threshold, and executing a soft-fault notification when the bucket for the performance signature component exceeds a second threshold, where the first

Abstract: A computer readable medium is provided embodying instructions executable by a processor to perform a method for triggering a software rejuvenation system or method, the method includes receiving a request for resources at a node, determining an estimated response time to the request for resources, determining that the estimated response time is greater than a first threshold, and triggering the software rejuvenation system or method at the node, the triggering including broadcasting an alert upon determining one of, a number of estimated response times is greater than the first threshold is greater than or equal to a dynamic second threshold, and a prior alert is received from another node.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for triggering a software rejuvenation system or method in a computer-system including a plurality of replicates includes receiving a request for resources at a first replicate, determining an estimated response time to the request for resources, and determining that the estimated response time is greater than a first threshold. The method further includes determining that a number of estimated response times greater than the first threshold is greater than or equal to a second threshold, wherein the second threshold of the first replicate is different than a second threshold of a second replicate of the computer-system, and triggering the software rejuvenation system or method for the first replicate.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for triggering a software rejuvenation system and/or method includes receiving a plurality of requests for resources, determining to take a sample of the requests with a probability, determining an estimated average response time to the sample of the requests for resources, determining that the estimated average response time is greater than a first threshold, wherein the first threshold is a mean of an assumed value, determining that a number of estimated average response times greater than the first threshold is greater than or equal to a second threshold, and triggering the software rejuvenation system and/or method.

Abstract: A method for developing a software project includes identifying business cases and goals for the software project, defining a common interface architecture through which components of the software project are to be integrated, identifying software project components to be integrated over the common interface, defining high level requirements of the project components, elaborating the component interfaces and defining detailed component requirements, implementing the project components, testing the project components individually, defining integration tests for testing integrated components, and executing the integration tests on a set of integrated components.