Reliability Analysis of Interconnection Networks
Summary
Interconnection networks underpin the performance and dependability of modern computing systems, from high-performance supercomputers to large-scale data centres and sensor arrays. Reliability analysis evaluates the capacity of these networks to sustain communication without failure, quantifying metrics such as fault-tolerance, availability and mean time to failure. Multistage interconnection networks (MINs) are widely adopted for their scalability, offering a structured cascade of switching elements to interlink processors and memory modules. Analysis techniques span analytical modelling, simulation of fault scenarios and probabilistic reliability estimation. Key challenges include the trade-off between redundancy and hardware cost, the impact of component failures on network connectivity and the development of routing algorithms resilient to switch or link faults. Advances in optical switching, crosstalk avoidance and disjoint-path architectures have broadened the scope of reliability studies, while formal methods such as satisfiability modelling aid in assessing rearrangeability and nonblocking properties. This field directly informs the design of robust fabrics for cloud computing, real-time processing in sensor networks, and future exascale platforms where uninterrupted data flow is critical.
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Reliability Analysis of Interconnection Networks publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in reliability analysis of interconnection networks across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Multistage Interconnection Network (MIN): A layered arrangement of switching elements that routes data between multiple inputs and outputs in staged phases.
Fault Tolerance: The ability of a network to continue correct operation despite the presence of component failures or errors.
Nonblocking Network: An architecture guaranteeing that new connection requests can be established without rearranging existing connections.
Disjoint Paths: Multiple independent routes between source and destination that share no common switch or link, enhancing resilience.
Reliability-Cost Ratio: A metric comparing network dependability improvements against added hardware or complexity expenses.
Rearrangeability: The property that any permutation of inputs to outputs can be realised by suitably configuring the network switches.
References
- Reliable Gamma-Interconnection Network for Data Analysis in Sensor Networks: Design and Performance Evaluation. ECS Sensors Plus (2023).
- Local Fault Tolerance Analysis in Strictly Nonblocking Clos and Multi-LogqN Networks. IEEE Access (2025).
- Fault Tolerant Gamma-Minus Network. ECS Advances (2023).
- CNF-SAT modelling for banyan-type networks and its application for assessing the rearrangeability. Journal of Physics Conference Series (2021).
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