System Assurance Risks?

System Assurance

New systems, subsystems, process, procedures, tasks, and operations are to be integrated into the system. It is apparent that all these new elements must meet a level of acceptable system performance. Consider that if the new system does not meet the reasonable expectation of the user, then it has failed, even though it may meet the specification.[1]?System assurance is comprised of system engineering specialties working together to integrate requirements that will assure an acceptable level of functionality, usability, and utility.???

Systems have become more and more complex and as a result specialists have evolved to design or help refine designs concurrently and with an integrated approach. Concurrent engineering participants include the following:

Reliability engineering?– Reliability is defined to be the probability that a component or system will perform a required function for a given period when used under stated operating conditions.[2]

Maintainability engineering?– Maintainability is defined to be the probability that a failed component of system will be restored or replaced to a specified condition within a period when maintenance is performed in accordance with prescribed procedures.[3]

Availability engineering?– Availability is defined as the probability that a component or system is performing its required function at a given point in time when used under stated operating conditions.[4]?System availability is comprised of hardware, software, human, and interface availability.??

Quality engineering?– Quality can be defined qualitatively as the amount by which the system satisfies the users’ requirements.[5]?In other words - quality is the conformance to a set of requirements that, if met, results in a system that is fit for intended use.[6]

Logistics engineering?- Logistics involves all the support functions needed to preserve and maintain the integrity of a system once it is operational. Thus it is an engineering effort that minimizes costs and malfunctions during such activities as storage, handling, transporting, spares provisioning, repair, preventive maintenance, and training.

Configuration engineering?– Configuration engineering addresses base lining the system with a description of the attributes, at a point in time, which serves as a basis for defining change. It involves a systematic process that ensures that changes to released configuration are properly identified, documented, evaluated for impact, approved, incorporated, and verified.???

Human Factors engineering?- Human factors engineering is the application of the human biological and psychological sciences in conjunction with engineering sciences to achieve the optimum mutual adjustment of the human and work, the benefits being measured in terms of efficiency and well-being. The principal disciplines involved are anthropometry, physiology, and engineering.

Security Engineering –?Security engineering address intentional harm because of a threat action and vulnerability within the system. Security-related risks are eliminated or controlled to acceptable levels throughout the system life cycle. This includes concepts of cyber safety and cyber security. Security engineering applies system assurance methods and techniques and specific risk assessment criteria.??

Software performance?– Systems assurance principles apply to software just as they do to hardware, although some tools and techniques are unique to each. Tools for hardware such as failure analysis can also be applied to software. Confusion about how to assure software performance comes from the lack of standard definitions of software reliability, maintainability, and other such requirements.?

System effectiveness?- System effectiveness is a function of availability, dependability, and capability. Therefore, a model for system effectiveness may be written as a combination of probabilities:?P(SE) = P(A) X?P(D)?X P(C),?where SE,?A, D,?and C indicate that the probabilities are those of system effectiveness, availability, dependability, and capability. One more term can be added to the system effectiveness model: operational readiness.

Additional specialities - Many other additional specialists are part of the equation depending on the system such as materials, survivability, redundancy management, program risk management.

[1]?Raheja, D.G. and M. Allocco, Assurance Technologies Principles and Practices: A Product, Process and System Safety Perceptive, Wiley-Interscience., 2006.

[2]?Ebeling C. E., Reliability and Maintainability Engineering, McGarw-Hill, Inc., 1997, page 5.

[3]?IBID, Ebeling

[4]?IBID, Ebeling, page 6

[5]?IBID, Ebeling, page 6

[6]?IBID, Raheja, page 181