Multi-perspective evaluation of self-healing systems using simple probabilistic models

In this paper we construct an evaluation framework for a self-healing system, VM-Rejuv – a virtual machine based rejuvenation scheme for web-application servers – using simple, yet powerful, probabilistic models that capture the behavior of its self-healing mechanisms from multiple perspectives (designer, operator, and enduser). We combine these analytical models with runtime faultinjection to study the operation of VM-Rejuv, and use the results from the fault-injection experiments and model-analysis to reason about the efficacy of VM-Rejuv, its limitations and strategies for mitigating these limitations in system-deployments. Whereas we use VM-Rejuv as the subject of our evaluation in this paper, our main contribution is the demonstration of a practical evaluation approach that can be generalized to other self-healing systems. Categories and Subject Descriptors C.4 [Performance of Systems]: Reliability, availability and serviceability General Terms Measurement, Performance, Reli...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2009
• Where: ICAC
• Authors: Rean Griffith, Gail E. Kaiser, Javier Alonso López
• Keywords: Autonomic Computing, ICAC 2009, Machine Based Rejuvenation, Self-healing Mechanisms, Self-healing Systems