Certified Reliability Engineer Practice Test

N-Version Programming is a software fault tolerance technique that involves developing multiple functionally equivalent versions of a program from the same specification. This approach is designed to improve reliability by running these different versions in parallel. If one version fails, the system can rely on the outputs of the other versions, thereby increasing the overall robustness of the software.

The characteristic of simultaneous computation by multiple versions is crucial, as this enables the system to compare outputs and identify discrepancies caused by faults in one or more of the versions. The goal of this technique is to enhance the reliability of software systems by minimizing the likelihood of a single point of failure affecting the overall functionality.

This approach is particularly effective in environments where high reliability is critical, allowing systems to continue functioning correctly even if some versions experience issues. Hence, this characteristic directly reflects the essence of N-Version Programming, showcasing its strategy for redundancy and fault tolerance in software design.