Architecting and Validating Dependable Systems: Experiences and Visions

The world of computer systems today is composed of very different kind of critical architectures: from embedded safety-critical sensors and safety equipment (e.g., train on-board equipment), to large, highly dependable multi-computers (e.g. plant control systems), to smart resilient components for ubiquitous networks (e.g., biometrics monitoring applications). The common trend for all of them is to become open and part of an integrated cyber world; still, each of them brings specific challenges that need to be addressed for their design and validation, possibly leading to the different architectural and validation solutions. This paper discusses the experiences gained by the authors on architecting and validating dependable systems, considering the activities they carried out during recently ended European FP6 projects, which concerned traditional embedded systems (in the railway domain – SAFEDMI project), large-scale critical infrastructures (in the electric domain – CRUTIAL project), and distributed mobile systems (in the automotive domain – HIDENETS project). The vision on upcoming and future challenges and trends is finally provided considering pervasive/ubiquitous systems in the context of the just started FP7 ALARP project and considering Future Internet scenarios.