Combinatorial Reliability Analysis of Multicore Processors

The demand for reliability in multicore processors, which are ubiquitous in today’s computers, smartphones, and various other smart devices, is growing. Several factors can influence the seamless operation of multicore processors. For instance, at high frequencies, challenges such as signal distribution and maintaining low power consumption are prominent. An overheated processor can result in various issues in a computer, including freezes, unexpected shutdowns, and errors while running programs. These issues can have serious consequences, particularly during critical tasks. Processor cores belong to the class of multifunctional elements. Their multifunctionality contributes to the structural flexibility of the processor, allowing functions to be redistributed between cores and ensuring the processor can continue to operate successfully even if individual core blocks fail. This flexibility significantly enhances processor reliability, as demonstrated by quantitative assessments of the fault tolerance of multicore processors.

We use mathematical combinatoric methods for studying and quantitating different variants of cores and blocks in multicore processor. Number of conditions of work in view of the faults of individual blocks. With the results we also have a quantitative assessment and analysis of the flexibility and the likelihood of functioning (reliability) of multicore processors, which is the Central focus of this article.