Exploration of the effects of soft errors from dynamic software behaviours

Abstract

Soft errors can affect system reliability by influencing software execution. Dynamic implementation for software-based soft error tolerance methods can protect more types of codes; hence, the method can cover more soft errors. Based on the background of dynamic soft error tolerance, this study proposes an approach to analyse dynamic software behaviours under the effects of soft errors. The authors use a special program model that combines abstract computing on the high level with computing of instructions on the low level. On the high level, programs are divided with the granularity of function. On the low level, every function is implemented by the instructions. Those effects of soft errors on instructions on the low level are passed to the computing results of function on the high level. Backed by the computing results of function on the high level, the caused instruction errors that can lead to incorrect program outcome are distinguished within a function. Based on those different level software behaviours with our program model, the dynamic program reliability model is built under the effects of soft errors. From the dynamic program reliability model, we can see the relationship between the characteristics of dynamic program and reliability of dynamic program under the effects of soft errors. Finally, the experimental results of the authors fault injection experiments validate the dynamic program reliability model. In addition, the experimental results also demonstrate the authors analyses of different dynamic software behaviours under the effects of soft errors.