Parallel processing of fault trees on a locally distributed multiple-processor network

Large fault trees are evaluated in a distributed fashion by pooling the computing power of several networked LISP processors. Direct evaluation of fault trees of complex systems is computationally intensive and can take a long time when performed on a single processor. An iterative top-down algorithm successively recognizes and reduces known patterns, and decomposes the problem into subtasks at each level of iteration. These subtasks are distributed to multiple machines on the network. Thus, subtree evaluations which are tackled serially on a single processor, are performed in parallel by the distributed network. The reductions in elapsed computer time afforded by this approach are examined. Questions of optimal resource allocation and of scheme limitations are considered