XML schema based fault set definition to improve fault injection tools interoperability. (22nd February 2010)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Da Silva, Antonio; Martinez, Jose F.; Gonzalez-Calero, Alberto; Lopez, Lourdes; Garcia, Ana; Hernandez, Vicente
• Is Part Of: International journal of critical computer-based systems. Volume 1:Number 1/2/3(2010)
• Page Start: 220
• Page End: 237
• Publication Date: 2010-02-22
• Subjects: critical systems -- XML schema -- fault injection -- fault triggers -- experiment reproducibility -- critical computing -- interoperability -- fault set definition -- low level memory -- register value corruption -- embedded systems -- microprocessor-based systems -- resource usage faults -- host based systems; Computer systems -- Periodicals; Computer architecture -- Periodicals; 004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1757-8779

Abstract

Software implemented fault injection tools (SWIFI) use fault injectors to carry out the fault injection campaign defined in a GUI-based application. However, the communication between the fault injector and the application is defined in an ad-hoc manner. This paper describes an XML schema formalisation approach for the definition of fault sets which specify low level memory and/or register value corruptions in embedded microprocessor-based systems and resource usage faults in host based systems. Through this proposed XML schema definition, different injectors could be used to carry out the same fault set injection. To validate this approach an experimental tool called Exhaustif®, consisting of a GUI Java application for defining the fault sets and injection policies, one injector for Windows hosts systems and two injectors for Sparc and i386 architectures under RTEMS have been developed.