Interrelationships of problematic components of safety related automated information systems

The author focuses on safety-related automated information systems and describes the interrelationships among system components. How safety-related information system failures can often be caused by problems in more than one system component and how, in other cases, problems in one system component can create problems in others are discussed. The author describes the interrelated problems causing data loss in the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) air traffic control system as a primary example. Stressed are: the need for intensive coordinated activity for identifying causes of and solutions to problems in all system components; and the need to study the interrelationships between these components, which can result in system failure.<
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