Software diversity

✍ Scribed by Udo Voges

• Book ID: 103971472
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1994
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 688 KB
• Volume: 43
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0951-8320
• DOI: 10.1016/0951-8320(94)90056-6

✦ Synopsis

The use of software systems in safety-critical applications requires the investigation of different methods to achieve the necessary dependability. Software diversity is one of the methods to be considered. After a short introduction to the basic principles and different forms, applications of software diversity in various areas are presented and the achievements, benefits and drawbacks are discussed. A modelling method is introduced, which takes into account the different aspects and approaches software diversity can take. The expected impact of diversity on the different stages of software development can be parametrized; the result of the modelling is information on the expected overall gain or loss in dependability, and on the expected cost, compared to a non-diverse software development. Finally, the relationship of software diversity to other methods used to achieve dependable software systems is discussed.