Availability Analysis: Concepts and Methods

Availability is a concept used to characterize the performance of a machine, component, or system with respect to its ability to fulfill the function for which it is operated. In this article, a general introduction to quantitative modeling for the availability analysis of components and systems is provided. Both, cases of continuously monitored and periodically tested components are considered. Markov modeling and Monte Carlo simulation are presented as methods for the evaluation of the availability of complex systems