Bounding availability of repairable systems

Markov models are widely used for the analysis of availability of computer/communication systems. Realistic models often involve state-space cardinalities that are so large that it is impractical to generate the transition-rate matrix let alone solve for availability measures. An approximation technique is presented for determining steady-state availability. Of particular interest is that the method also provides bounds on the error. Examples are given to illustrate the method.<
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