Published by De Gruyter Oldenbourg

Volume 57 Issue 3 - Special Issue: Dependable Embedded Systems / Jörg Henkel

Issue of it - Information Technology

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Contents
Journal Overview

Publicly Available June 8, 2015

Editorial

Publicly Available June 8, 2015

Dependable embedded systems

Jörg Henkel

Page range: 147-148

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Special Issue

June 8, 2015

Adaptive multi-layer techniques for increased system dependability

Lars Bauer, Jörg Henkel, Andreas Herkersdorf, Michael A. Kochte, Johannes M. Kühn, Wolfgang Rosenstiel, Thomas Schweizer, Stefan Wallentowitz, Volker Wenzel, Thomas Wild, Hans-Joachim Wunderlich, Hongyan Zhang

Page range: 149-158

Abstract

Achieving system-level dependability is a demanding task. The manifold requirements and dependability threats can no longer be statically addressed at individual abstraction layers. Instead, all components of future multi-processor systems-on-chip (MPSoCs) have to contribute to this common goal in an adaptive manner. In this paper we target a generic heterogeneous MPSoC that combines general purpose processors along with dedicated application-specific hard-wired accelerators, fine-grained reconfigurable processors, and coarse-grained reconfigurable architectures. We present different reactive and proactive measures at the layers of the runtime system (online resource management), system architecture (global communication), micro architecture (individual tiles), and gate netlist (tile-internal circuits) to address dependability threats.

June 8, 2015

Application-aware cross-layer reliability analysis and optimization

Michael Glaß, Hananeh Aliee, Liang Chen, Mojtaba Ebrahimi, Faramarz Khosravi, Veit B. Kleeberger, Alexandra Listl, Daniel Müller-Gritschneder, Fabian Oboril, Ulf Schlichtmann, Mehdi B. Tahoori, Jürgen Teich, Norbert Wehn, Christian Weis

Page range: 159-169

Abstract

The increasing error susceptibility of semiconductor devices has put reliability in the focus of modern design methodologies. Low-level techniques alone cannot economically tackle this problem. Instead, counter measures on all system layers from device and circuit up to the application are required. As these counter measures are not for free, orchestrating them across different layers to achieve optimum trade-offs for the application wrt. reliability but also cost, timeliness, or energy consumption becomes a challenge. This typically requires a combination of analysis techniques to quantify the achieved reliability and optimization techniques that search for the best combination of counter measures. This work presents five recent approaches for application-aware cross-layer reliability optimization from within the embedded domain. Moreover, the Resilience Articulation Point (RAP) as a concept cooperatively developed to model errors across different layers is discussed. The developed approaches are showcased via applications, ranging from MIMO systems to distributed embedded control applications.

June 8, 2015

Multi-layer software reliability for unreliable hardware

Muhammad Shafique, Philip Axer, Christoph Borchert, Jian-Jia Chen, Kuan-Hsun Chen, Björn Döbel, Rolf Ernst, Hermann Härtig, Andreas Heinig, Rüdiger Kapitza, Florian Kriebel, Daniel Lohmann, Peter Marwedel, Semeen Rehman, Florian Schmoll, Olaf Spinczyk

Page range: 170-180

Abstract

This paper presents a multi-layer software reliability approach that leverages multiple software layers (e. g., programming language, compiler, and operating system) to improve the overall system reliability considering unreliable or partly-reliable hardware. We present a comprehensive design flow that integrates multiple software layers while accounting for the knowledge from lower hardware layers. We show how multiple software layers synergistically operate to achieve a high degree of reliability.

Publicly Available June 8, 2015

NSF expedition on variability-aware software: Recent results and contributions

Lucas Wanner, Liangzhen Lai, Abbas Rahimi, Mark Gottscho, Pietro Mercati, Chu-Hsiang Huang, Frederic Sala, Yuvraj Agarwal, Lara Dolecek, Nikil Dutt, Puneet Gupta, Rajesh Gupta, Ranjit Jhala, Rakesh Kumar, Sorin Lerner, Subhasish Mitra, Alexandru Nicolau, Tajana Simunic Rosing, Mani B. Srivastava, Steve Swanson, Dennis Sylvester, Yuanyuan Zhou

Page range: 181-198

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Abstract

In this paper we summarize recent results and contributions from the NSF Expedition on Variability-Aware Software, a five year, multi-university effort to tackle the problem of hardware variations and its implications and opportunities in software. The Expedition has made contributions in characterization and online monitoring of variations (particularly in microprocessors and flash memories), proposed new coding techniques for variability-tolerant storage, provided tools and platforms for the development of variability-aware software, and created new runtime support systems for variability-aware task-scheduling and execution.

Self-Portrayals of GI Junior Fellows

June 8, 2015

The mobile revolution – Machine intelligence for autonomous vehicles

Markus Enzweiler

Page range: 199-202

Abstract

What started as a distant vision just a few decades ago is quickly becoming reality. Autonomous vehicles are about to be deployed on a large scale and will fundamentally change our transportation behavior. In this particular application, extreme demands on reliability and quality give rise to numerous problems and open issues that need to be jointly identified and addressed by both academia and industry. In this article, we present an overview of the current state-of-the-art in the field of intelligent autonomous vehicles. We further discuss open problems and current research directions.

June 8, 2015

Towards a clean slate: Attempting to preserve civil liberty in the post-Snowden age

Alexander von Gernler

Page range: 203-207

Abstract

Wide adoption of mobile computing, smartphones, social networks and big data techniques have brought undoubtable advantages to society as such, as well as to its individuals. The downside of this diffusion of technology throughout society has already been well discussed. Single authors also pointed out the threats not only to the single individual, but to democratic society as a whole. However, suggestions or even practical approaches of how to mitigate these threats not only at the individual level ( Folks, keep your virus scanner up to date all the time! ), but for society itself, are rarely found up to this day. There is no simple solution to this problem, of course. Particularly not a small one that can be carried out by a single peer group. Rather, we want to motivate that there are different approaches to the shared common goal of preserving civil liberty for many individual groups of society. In this article, we focus on a strategy for computer scientists on how to perform their part in the big picture, and try to motivate this by calling up on their professional ethics.

Distinguished Dissertations

June 8, 2015

Model-based analysis of cerebrovascular diseases combining 3D and 4D MRA datasets

Nils D. Forkert

Page range: 208-212

Abstract

The cerebral stroke is a major cause for death and disability. Clinical diagnosis, therapy, and research of stroke can considerably benefit from modern image acquisition methods, which enable a detailed analysis of cerebral blood vessel anatomy as well as an examination of macrovascular and tissue blood flow dynamics. However, visual screening of these datasets can be complex and time-consuming due to the vast amount of data. This article provides an overview of a dissertation, which addresses the problem of an automatic combined analysis and visualization of high-resolution 3D and spatiotemporal (4D) image sequences from the same patient to support diagnosis, treatment decision, and research of cerebrovascular diseases. Therefore, automatic methods for the cerebrovascular segmentation, analysis of the cerebral blood flow and tissue perfusion, as well as the combined quantitative analysis and visualization of the vessel morphology and blood flow dynamics were developed. Apart from a potential clinical application, the developed methods have already proven useful in multiple clinical research studies.

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it - Information Technology is a strictly peer-reviewed scientific journal. It is the oldest German journal in the field of information technology. Today, the major aim of it - Information Technology is highlighting issues on ongoing newsworthy areas in information technology and informatics and their application. It aims at presenting the topics with a holistic view. It addresses scientists, graduate students, and experts in industrial research and development.

it - Information Technology is the organ of the faculties Technical Informatics and Computer Science in the Life Sciences of the German Informatics Society (GI - Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V.) and faculty Technical Informatics of the Information Technology Society (ITG) within the VDE (Verband der Elektrotechnik, Elektronik und Informationstechnik e.V.).

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Volume 57 Issue 3 - Special Issue: Dependable Embedded Systems / Jörg Henkel

Issue of it - Information Technology

Frontmatter

Dependable embedded systems

Adaptive multi-layer techniques for increased system dependability

Abstract

Application-aware cross-layer reliability analysis and optimization

Abstract

Multi-layer software reliability for unreliable hardware

Abstract

NSF expedition on variability-aware software: Recent results and contributions

Abstract

The mobile revolution – Machine intelligence for autonomous vehicles

Abstract

Towards a clean slate: Attempting to preserve civil liberty in the post-Snowden age

Abstract

Model-based analysis of cerebrovascular diseases combining 3D and 4D MRA datasets

Abstract