The present book is the first volume of the new series “Dependable Computing and Fault-Tolerant Systems” that is edited by members of the IFIP Working Group 10.4 (Reliable Computing and Fault Tolerance) and that represents activities and efforts of members and guests of this WG. It contains the 18 papers (USA 11, Europe 5, Japan 2) of a one-day symposium of the WG on “The evolution of Fault-Tolerant Computing” in the honor of William C. Carter at Baden, Austria, in June 1986.
Many of the authors are pioneers in fault-tolerant computing and founders of the IFIP WG 10.4, of the IEEE-CG TC on Fault-Tolerant Computing, or of the annual International Symposia on Fault-Tolerant Computing that started in 1971.
The papers reflect activities, experiences, and future prospects of the authors in academia and industry, respectively.
The worth of the book lies in the variety and in the authors’ personal view of the representation of the subject. It is a precious background information for computer scientists, programmers, and engineers who are interested in dependable and fault-tolerant computing, in its history, in important (completed and running) projects on this field, and in future prospects and trends.