Dependability analysis is the recent approach to performance evaluation of contemporary systems that tries to cope with new challenges that are brought with their unprecedented complexity, size and diversity. Especially in case of computer systems and networks such evaluation must be based on multidisciplinary approach to theory, technology, and maintenance of systems which operate in real (and very often unfriendly) environments. As opposed to “classic” reliability which focuses mainly on technical aspects of system functioning, reliability studies investigate the systems as multifaceted and sophisticated amalgamations of technical, information and also human resources. This monograph presents selected new developments in such areas of reliability research as mathematical models, evaluation of software, probabilistic assessment, methodologies, tools, and technologies. Intelligent and soft computing methods help to solve fundamental problems of reliability analysis which are caused by the fact that in contemporary computer systems it is often difficult to find a relationship between system elements and system events (the relationship between reasons and results) and it is even more difficult to define strict mathematical models with "analytical" relationships between such phenomena. Read more