Book excerpt: A practical, step-by-step guide to designing world-class, high availability systems using both classical and DFSS reliability techniques Whether designing telecom, aerospace, automotive, medical, financial, or public safety systems, every engineer aims for the utmost reliability and availability in the systems he, or she, designs. But between the dream of world-class performance and reality falls the shadow of complexities that can bedevil even the most rigorous design process. While there are an array of robust predictive engineering tools, there has been no single-source guide to understanding and using them . . . until now. Offering a case-based approach to designing, predicting, and deploying world-class high-availability systems from the ground up, this book brings together the best classical and DFSS reliability techniques. Although it focuses on technical aspects, this guide considers the business and market constraints that require that systems be designed right the first time. Written in plain English and following a step-by-step "cookbook" format, Designing High Availability Systems: Shows how to integrate an array of design/analysis tools, including Six Sigma, Failure Analysis, and Reliability Analysis Features many real-life examples and case studies describing predictive design methods, tradeoffs, risk priorities, "what-if" scenarios, and more Delivers numerous high-impact takeaways that you can apply to your current projects immediately Provides access to MATLAB programs for simulating problem sets presented, along with PowerPoint slides to assist in outlining the problem-solving process Designing High Availability Systems is an indispensable working resource for system engineers, software/hardware architects, and project teams working in all industries.