Error Handling for Large-Scale Software Systems

WWTG’s Phase I effort developed a formal framework with the enabling methods and technologies required for error handling operations. In Phase II, the Error Detection Isolation Containment Types (EDICT) tool suite will be implemented to provide a rich framework for error handling, facilitating comprehensive design/analysis of real-time and safety critical systems. The SAE standard Architecture Analysis and Description Language (AADL) is used to capture the specification and necessary system description. Using error type checking and propagation analysis, a set of fault detection and isolation principles are established for error handling. An associated group of approaches are developed for extending, modifying, augmenting or interfacing to various system elements in large-scale software architectures. The concept of error containment regions enables specification and analysis properties to be evaluated and measured. The approach develops a framework for designers and users to make the error handling process more efficient and improve policy decisions. With these concepts in place, fault tolerant systems can be constructed from intolerant components and improved error handling can be achieved. The associated run-time algorithms and service architecture offer excellent performance overhead, and scales to support both single and multi-language software architectures operating in either a local or distributed context.