Bernstein writes a new chapter in software fault tolerance

HOBOKEN, N.J. - A Stevens Institute of Technology Industry Research Professor of Computer Science, Lawrence Bernstein, is the author of a major chapter on software fault tolerance in a book just published by the Academic Press. Titled Advances in Computers Volume 58, Highly Dependable Software, the book is edited by Marvin Zelkowitz.

Professor Bernstein's chapter, encompassing pp. 240-285, is titled "Software Fault Tolerance Forestalls Crashes: To Err is Human; to Forgive is Fault Tolerant." Based on Bernstein's 35 years of experience in industry, the chapter includes detailed exegeses and analyses of the history of software development and architecture, in the never-ending campaign to safeguard computer software and perishable data against crashes and other systems failure.

"Software fault tolerance prevents ever-present defects in the software from hanging or crashing a system," said Bernstein. "The problem of preventing latent software faults from becoming system failures is the subject of this chapter. Software architectures, design techniques, static checks, dynamic tests, special libraries, and run-time routines help software engineers create fault tolerant software. The nature of software execution is chaotic because there are few ways to find singularities, and even those are rarely practiced. This leads to complex and untrustworthy software products.

"The 1990s were to be the decade of fault tolerant computing," Bernstein continued. "Fault tolerant hardware was in the works and software fault tolerance was imminent. But it didn't happen. Only with the rash of server failures, denial-of-service episodes, web outages and the Sept. 11th attacks did software developers begin to take an interest again. I explain the reasons behind this in my chapter."

Bernstein is a recognized expert in software technology, network architecture, network management software, software project management, and technology conversion. He teaches graduate courses on Computer Networks and undergraduate courses on Software Engineering in Stevens' Imperatore School of Sciences and Arts, where he holds the title of Industry Research Professor. He is a member-at-large of the Board of Governors of the IEEE Communications Society, among many other affiliations. Bernstein had a 35-year distinguished career at Bell Laboratories in managing large software projects. Since retirement, he heads his own consulting firm.

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.

Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,150 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students, with about 250 full-time faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.  

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