On a method for mending time to failure distributions

Many software reliability growth models assume that the time to next failure may be infinite; i.e., there is a chance that no failure will occur at all. For most software products this is too good to be true even after the testing phase. Moreover, if a non-zero probability is assigned to an infinite time to failure, metrics like the mean time to failure do not exist. In this paper, we try to answer several questions: Under what condition does a model permit an infinite time to next failure? Why do all finite failures non-homogeneous Poisson process (NHPP) models share this property? And is there any transformation mending the time to failure distributions? Indeed, such a transformation exists; it leads to a new family of NHPP models. We also show how the distribution function of the time to first failure can be used for unifying finite failures and infinite failures NHPP models. --software reliability growth model,non-homogeneous Poisson process,defective distribution,(mean) time to failure,model unification

Analysis of Software Aging in a Web Server

A number of recent studies have reported the phenomenon of “software aging”, characterized by progressive performance degradation and/or an increased occurrence rate of hang/crash failures of a software system due to the exhaustion of operating system resources or the accumulation of errors. To counteract this phenomenon, a proactive technique called 'software rejuvenation' has been proposed. It essentially involves stopping the running software, cleaning its internal state and/or its environment and then restarting it. Software rejuvenation, being preventive in nature, begs the question as to when to schedule it. Periodic rejuvenation, while straightforward to implement, may not yield the best results, because the rate at which software ages is not constant, but it depends on the time-varying system workload. Software rejuvenation should therefore be planned and initiated in the face of the actual system behavior. This requires the measurement, analysis and prediction of system resource usage. In this paper, we study the development of resource usage in a web server while subjecting it to an artificial workload. We first collect data on several system resource usage and activity parameters. Non-parametric statistical methods are then applied for detecting and estimating trends in the data sets. Finally, we fit time series models to the data collected. Unlike the models used previously in the research on software aging, these time series models allow for seasonal patterns, and we show how the exploitation of the seasonal variation can help in adequately predicting the future resource usage. Based on the models employed here, proactive management techniques like software rejuvenation triggered by actual measurements can be built. --Software aging,software rejuvenation,Linux,Apache,web server,performance monitoring,prediction of resource utilization,non-parametric trend analysis,time series analysis

Development of Corrugated Fiber Board Cartons for Long Distance Transport of Tomato in India

Tomato growers of Gujarat , north-west India , traditionally send produce to wholesale market in Ahmedabad city for auction. Growing areas lie about 250-300 km from the city. Growers were constrained to sell there even if the prices were not attractive which the case usually as season advanced was. Lack of sturdy packaging deterred them from sending produce to more distant markets such as Bombay ( 600 km ) , Delhi ( 900 km) or Bangalore ( 2000) . Peti, the box used presently, made of strips of wood nailed together does not protect the produce adequately. Although, there are many large packaging firms in the region producing boxes for various consumer products, problem of tomato growers was not recognized. Their view was that tomato being a low-value commodity, growers will not buy better packaging. Being mostly small, growers were not organized enough to raise funds to sponsor research at public R&D institutions in the area. That task was therefore taken up. Boxes that protected the produce better on long journey and were affordable were designed and introduced successfully in the region. This paper describes the development.

Implementation of Rural Development Programmes in India, with reference to National Rural Livelihood Mission [NRLM]

Rural unemployment in India is a problem of about forty million families living below the poverty line. These families suffer from a long spells of work low wages and low productivity. The Government of India has implementing special schemes and programmes for the benefits of the rural population also wage employment generation, generation of self-employment. The poverty alleviation and unemployment continues to remain a major area of successive five years plan in coming years. The Government of India is still in the stage of making experiments and could not find a suitable programme to bring about expected changes in rural life. It is being increasingly recognized from the outcome of the various recent rural development programmes that the Government alone cannot bring about the necessary change in the upliftment of the rural poor. In this research paper, an attempt has been made to identify various factors causing for better co-ordinations and monitoring the programmes under the Rural Development. It highlights about present scenario of implementation of rural development programme like National Rural Livelihood Mission [NRLM] for the self employment

Corporate Environmental Accounting: Issues and Challenges in India

Today, World is facing the twin problem of promoting economic development and protecting the environment. There is need for proper balance between environmental protection and sustainable and economic development. It is observed that, many efforts have been done to develop a mechanism of incorporating environmental information with national income to compute economic development. But without the proper environmental accounting data, both in the corporate level and the Government, it next to impossible to determine whether anybody have fulfilling their responsibilities towards the environment. The implementation of Environmental Accounting can help the goals of corporate and other stakeholders in reducing the costs and decreasing the pollution. This study attempts to address the development of corporate environmental accounting and the problems associated with that. This study identifies the development of the corporate environmental accountingadopted by the sample companies in India

Fortran and C programs for the time-dependent dipolar Gross-Pitaevskii equation in an anisotropic trap

Many of the static and dynamic properties of an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) are usually studied by solving the mean-field Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) equation, which is a nonlinear partial differential equation for short-range atomic interaction. More recently, BEC of atoms with long-range dipolar atomic interaction are used in theoretical and experimental studies. For dipolar atomic interaction, the GP equation is a partial integro-differential equation, requiring complex algorithm for its numerical solution. Here we present numerical algorithms for both stationary and non-stationary solutions of the full three-dimensional (3D) GP equation for a dipolar BEC, including the contact interaction. We also consider the simplified one- (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) GP equations satisfied by cigar- and disk-shaped dipolar BECs. We employ the split-step Crank-Nicolson method with real- and imaginary-time propagations, respectively, for the numerical solution of the GP equation for dynamic and static properties of a dipolar BEC. The atoms are considered to be polarized along the z axis and we consider ten different cases, e.g., stationary and non-stationary solutions of the GP equation for a dipolar BEC in 1D (along x and z axes), 2D (in x-y and x-z planes), and 3D, and we provide working codes in Fortran 90/95 and C for these ten cases (twenty programs in all). We present numerical results for energy, chemical potential, root-mean-square sizes and density of the dipolar BECs and, where available, compare them with results of other authors and of variational and Thomas-Fermi approximations.Comment: To download the programs click other and download sourc

Effect of Embedded Length and Bar Diameter of Reinforcement on Bond Strength Behavior of High Strength Concrete Subjected to Elevated Temperatures

In case of accidental fire, sabotages reinforced concrete structures get exposed to elevated temperatures, which results in deterioration of its mechanical strength. The deterioration in concrete is due to, its inhomogeneous volume change of concrete ingredients, generation of vapour pressure and decomposition of cement hydration products. Hence, it is significant to study the bond strength between concrete and reinforcing steel.  In the present investigation a study has been carried out on bond strength between high strength concrete and reinforcing steel subjected to elevated temperatures. In order to find the variation in bond strength, various parameters were considered such as bar diameters, embedded length and different temperature levels with 1 hr retention period.  In this investigation 12 mm, 16 mm and 20 mm diameter with two different embedded lengths 150 mm and 300 mm were adopted.  Specimens were exposed to three different temperature levels 200°C, 400°C, 600°C with retention period of 1hr. The experimental results concludes that, under elevated temperatures, embedded length does not contribute more to change in bond strength, but bar diameter and temperature plays important role in change in bond strength and, which is also associated with statistical analysis. From experimental study an empirical formula is proposed to predict the bond strength by considering elevated temperatures, bar diameter and embedded length. Keywords: Bond strength, Bar diameter, Embedded length, Elevated Temperature

A study of the reasons for rising NPA’s in public and private sector banks in India and measures to control it.

A strong banking sector is essential for a flourishing economy. A major hindrance faced by most banks today is the problem of non-performing assets (NPA’s).A high level of NPA’s suggests a high degree of credit defaults which, in turn affects the profitability of banks. Decreased profitability implies an unfavorable financial statement which in turn discourages investors from investing in the banks under consideration .Thus, the banks lose out on investments in the long run. This paper discusses the reasons for increased NPA’s and how the emergence of credit rating agencies (CRA’s) and asset  reconstruction companies (ARC’s) help in controlling the growth of NPA’s