Abstract: The reliability of a communication network management and control system, typically a complicated integrated system of software and hardware, has a significant effect on the communication network. A new approach to analyzing and evaluating the reliability of the system of a communication network is proposed. The whole system is divided into some layers such as subsystems, centers, software/hardware system and modules. The corresponding reliability models like series, parallel-in-weight, “n from k” vote and redundant model, etc. are established according to the falure criteria. The reliability of the software system can be obtained by the module analysis method and the reliability of a center can be obtained by integrating software and hardware system reliabilities. From bottom to top, the integrated realiability of the whole system can be found in the end. We also give the processing of integrated analysis and evaluation. The efficiency of our approach is validated through a real example simulation.

Key words: network management and control system, reliability, module analysis method, hierarchical analysis method