Summary

This website gives the rationale for, and outlines the first steps towards the planning of, an Integrated Project with a closely-allied Network of Excellence on the subject of System and Information Infrastructure Dependability, to be submitted to the First Call in FP6. These proposals are an outcome of the current EU-funded AMSD (Accompanying Measure on System Dependability) roadmapping project. Specifically, what is proposed is an industry-led Integrated Project on "Dependable Systems and Information infrastructures - Research and Exploitation" (DeSIRE), allied to "Dependability Foundations for Information infrastructures - Network of Excellence" (DeFINE). Membership of the former will be largely industrial, of the second, mainly academic, though a significant joint membership is planned.

Both DeSIRE and DeFINE will take a broad-ranging approach to dependability, taking into consideration all types of faults (e.g. hardware and software faults, human-machine interaction faults including intrusions and malicious acts by corrupt insiders), and all types of failures, since the term dependability encompasses availability, security, safety, reliability, survivability, etc. They will undertake RTD on the various aspects of dependability, together with education and training provisions, means for encouraging dependability best practice, and support for effective dialogues between relevant policy makers and the dependability research communities. It is anticipated that the DeSIRE consortium will include several major companies, each involved in the development and deployment of challenging computer systems in a particular application area, and a number of SMEs involved in the development and use of dependability tools and techniques. Management structures are planned for DeSIRE and DeFINE that should ensure their various system development activities treat all dependability issues adequately and their activities on various dependability technologies make good well-directed progress. The detailed choice of these activities is yet to be made, informed by the results of AMSD's road-mapping, and by negotiations with prospective partners.

Last update 3 Nov 2002
Brian Randell