Reliability evaluation of a periodically tested system by using different methods

The litterature related to the calculation of the reliability of periodically tested systems is rather poor. Then, the Methodological Research workshop of the ISdF (French Institute for dependability and safety) has worked in order to solve such problems. In this paper we intend to present an actual case concerning the reliability of a safety-related electronic equipment used in the Paris Metro. This case has been solved first in RATP by using an analytical method which is described in the paper. As this kind of method is rather complicated to handle without mistake, we began at ISdF, within the “test-cases activity”, to identify and try several more flexible methods as the multi-phases Markovian approach which is presented hereafter. As the Methodological Research workshop of the ISdF is going to become the Methodological Research workshop of ESRA, we intend to extend the “test-cases activity” at the european level. Then we are interested in gathering the various approaches usable to model the periodically tested systems and we welcome everybody who wants to participate.