Abstract: A method is provided for starting up a function implemented in distributed manner on a number of computation devices in a control system having at least two computation devices coupled via a data communication connection. Output parameters are provided for a number of output variables of the respective computation device, wherein the output variables form function variables for the function. For each input variable of one of the computation devices that has an associated output variable from one of the further computation devices, the output parameters of the output variables are checked for correspondence with prescribed input parameters of the respective input variables. The function is started-up if the output parameters of the output variables correspond to the prescribed input parameters of the respective input variables.

Abstract: A method for automated generation of at least one test pattern adapted to test a subsystem of a safety critical system comprising the steps of providing a failure propagation model of the safety critical system, selecting components of the subsystem under test as a test scope, and evaluating the test scope failure propagation model of the selected components to extract the test pattern.