Redundancy (engineering) in the context of "Safety-critical system"

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⭐ Core Definition: Redundancy (engineering)

In engineering and systems theory, redundancy is the intentional duplication of critical components or functions of a system with the goal of increasing reliability of the system, usually in the form of a backup or fail-safe, or to improve actual system performance, such as in the case of GNSS receivers, or multi-threaded computer processing.

In many safety-critical systems, such as fly-by-wire and hydraulic systems in aircraft, some parts of the control system may be triplicated, which is formally termed triple modular redundancy (TMR). An error in one component may then be out-voted by the other two. In a triply redundant system, the system has three sub components, all three of which must fail before the system fails. Since each one rarely fails, and the sub components are designed to preclude common failure modes (which can then be modelled as independent failure), the probability of all three failing is calculated to be extraordinarily small; it is often outweighed by other risk factors, such as human error. Electrical surges arising from lightning strikes are an example of a failure mode which is difficult to fully isolate, unless the components are powered from independent power busses and have no direct electrical pathway in their interconnect (communication by some means is required for voting). Redundancy may also be known by the terms "majority voting systems" or "voting logic".

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Redundancy (engineering) in the context of Taillights

Automotive lighting is functional exterior lighting in vehicles. A motor vehicle has lighting and signaling devices mounted to or integrated into its front, rear, sides, and, in some cases, top. Various devices have the dual function of illuminating the road ahead for the driver, and making the vehicle visible to others, with indications to them of turning, slowing or stopping, etc., with lights also indicating the size of some large vehicles.

Many emergency vehicles have distinctive lighting equipment to warn drivers of their presence.

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Redundancy (engineering) in the context of Data Centre

A data center is a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems.

Since IT operations are crucial for business continuity, a data center generally includes redundant or backup components and infrastructure for power supply, data communication connections, environmental controls (e.g., cooling, fire suppression), and various security devices. Data centers are the foundation of the digital infrastructure that powers the modern economy, aggregating collective computing demands for cloud services, video streaming, blockchain and crypto mining, machine learning, and virtual reality. Large data centers operate at an industrial scale, requiring significant energy. Estimated global data center electricity consumption in 2024 was around 415 terawatt hours (TWh), or about 1.5% of global electricity demand. The IEA projects that data center electricity consumption could double by 2030. High demand, driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning workloads is accelerating the deployment of high-performance servers, leading to greater power density and increased strain on electric grids.

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Redundancy (engineering) in the context of Boeing AH-64 Apache

The Hughes/McDonnell Douglas/Boeing AH-64 Apache (/əˈpæi/ ə-PATCH-ee) is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. Nose-mounted sensors help acquire targets and provide night vision. It carries a 30 mm (1.18 in) M230 chain gun under its forward fuselage and four hardpoints on stub-wing pylons for armament and stores, typically AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Hydra 70 rocket pods. Redundant systems help it survive combat damage.

The Apache began as the Model 77 developed by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the AH-1 Cobra. The prototype YAH-64 first flew on 30 September 1975. The U.S. Army selected the YAH-64 over the Bell YAH-63 in 1976, and later approved full production in 1982. After acquiring Hughes Helicopters in 1984, McDonnell Douglas continued AH-64 production and development. The helicopter was introduced to U.S. Army service in April 1986. The advanced AH-64D Apache Longbow was delivered to the Army in March 1997. Production has been continued by Boeing Defense, Space & Security. As of March 2024, over 2,700 Apaches have been delivered to the U.S. Army and 18 international partners and allies.

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Redundancy (engineering) in the context of RAID

RAID (redundant array of inexpensive disks or redundant array of independent disks) is a data storage virtualization technology that combines multiple physical data storage components into one or more logical units for the purposes of data redundancy, performance improvement, or both. This is in contrast to the previous concept of highly reliable mainframe disk drives known as single large expensive disk (SLED).

Data is distributed across the drives in one of several ways, referred to as RAID levels, depending on the required level of redundancy and performance. The different schemes, or data distribution layouts, are named by the word "RAID" followed by a number, for example RAID 0 or RAID 1. Each scheme, or RAID level, provides a different balance among the key goals: reliability, availability, performance, and capacity. RAID levels greater than RAID 0 provide protection against unrecoverable sector read errors, as well as against failures of whole physical drives.

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Redundancy (engineering) in the context of Defence in depth (non-military)

A defence in depth uses multi-layered protections, similar to redundant protections, to create a reliable system despite any one layer's unreliability.

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