Topology Based Reliable Virtual Network Embedding from a QoE Perspective

In the network virtualization environments, one of the most challenges is how to map the virtual networks(VNs) onto a shared substrate network managed by an infrastructure provider(In P), which is termed as virtual network embedding problem. Prior studies on this issue only emphasize on maximizing the revenue or minimizing the energy consumption while ignoring the reliability requirements of end-users. In our work, we incorporate the reliability probability into the virtual network embedding process with an aim to improve the Qo S/Qo E of end users from a new perspective. We devised two novel reliable virtual network embedding algorithms called RRW-Max Match and RDCC-VNE based on RW-Max Match and DCC-VNE, respectively. Extensive simulations demonstrated that the efficiency of our proposed algorithms is better than those of two primitive algorithms in terms of the reliability demands, the acceptance ratio of virtual networks and the long-term average revenue.

NEW APPROACH FOR RELIABILITY-BASED DESIGN OPTIMIZATION:MINIMUM ERROR POINT

Conventional reliability-based design optimization （RBDO） requires to use the most probable point （MPP） method for a probabilistic analysis of the reliability constraints. A new approach is presented, called as the minimum error point （MEP） method or the MEP based method, for reliability-based design optimization, whose idea is to minimize the error produced by approximating performance functions. The MEP based method uses the first order Taylor＇s expansion at MEP instead of MPP. Examples demonstrate that the MEP based design optimization can ensure product reliability at the required level, which is very imperative for many important engineering systems. The MEP based reliability design optimization method is feasible and is considered as an alternative for solving reliability design optimization problems. The MEP based method is more robust than the commonly used MPP based method for some irregular performance functions.

Risk Analysis of Breakwater Caisson Under Wave Attack Using Load Surface Approximation

A new load surface based approach to the reliability analysis of caisson-type breakwater is proposed. Uncertainties of the horizontal and vertical wave loads acting on breakwater are considered by using the so-called load surfaces, which can be estimated as functions of wave height, water level, and so on. Then, the first-order reliability method（FORM） can be applied to determine the probability of failure under the wave action. In this way, the reliability analysis of breakwaters with uncertainties both in wave height and in water level is possible. Moreover, the uncertainty in wave breaking can be taken into account by considering a random variable for wave height ratio which relates the significant wave height to the maximum wave height. The proposed approach is applied numerically to the reliability analysis of caisson breakwater under wave attack that may undergo partial or full wave breaking.

A Lamb wave quantification model for inclined cracks with experimental validation

This paper investigates the influence of crack orientation on damage quantification using Lamb wave in plate structures. Finite element simulation is performed to acquire Lamb wave signal responses for different configurations of crack orientations and crack lengths. Two Lamb wave features, namely the normalized amplitude and the phase change, are used as damage sensitive features to develop a crack size quantification model. A hypothesis based on the geometrical influence on signal features is proposed, and the crack size quantification model incorporating the orientation angle is established using the hypothesis. An index of Probability of Reliable Quantification(PRQ) is proposed to evaluate the performance of the model. The index can be used to determine the sizing risk in terms of probabilities. A realistic aluminum plate is used to obtain the experimental data using piezoelectric(PZT) wafer-type sensors around a center through crack. The experimental data are used to validate the overall method. Results indicate that the proposed model can yield reliable results for size quantification of inclined cracks.

Reliability analysis based on a novel density estimation method for structures with correlations

Estimating the Probability Density Function（PDF） of the performance function is a direct way for structural reliability analysis,and the failure probability can be easily obtained by integration in the failure domain.However,efficiently estimating the PDF is still an urgent problem to be solved.The existing fractional moment based maximum entropy has provided a very advanced method for the PDF estimation,whereas the main shortcoming is that it limits the application of the reliability analysis method only to structures with independent inputs.While in fact,structures with correlated inputs always exist in engineering,thus this paper improves the maximum entropy method,and applies the Unscented Transformation（UT） technique to compute the fractional moments of the performance function for structures with correlations,which is a very efficient moment estimation method for models with any inputs.The proposed method can precisely estimate the probability distributions of performance functions for structures with correlations.Besides,the number of function evaluations of the proposed method in reliability analysis,which is determined by UT,is really small.Several examples are employed to illustrate the accuracy and advantages of the proposed method.

Theoretical analysis of non-probabilistic reliability based on interval model

The aim of this paper is to propose a theoretical approach for performing the nonprobabilistic reliability analysis of structure.Due to a great deal of uncertainties and limited measured data in engineering practice,the structural uncertain parameters were described as interval variables.The theoretical analysis model was developed by starting from the 2-D plane and 3-D space.In order to avoid the loss of probable failure points,the 2-D plane and 3-D space were respectively divided into two parts and three parts for further analysis.The study pointed out that the probable failure points only existed among extreme points and root points of the limit state function.Furthermore,the low-dimensional analytical scheme was extended to the high-dimensional case.Using the proposed approach,it is easy to find the most probable failure point and to acquire the reliability index through simple comparison directly.A number of equations used for calculating the extreme points and root points were also evaluated.This result was useful to avoid the loss of probable failure points and meaningful for optimizing searches in the research field.Finally,two kinds of examples were presented and compared with the existing computation.The good agreements show that the proposed theoretical analysis approach in the paper is correct.The efforts were conducted to improve the optimization method,to indicate the search direction and path,and to avoid only searching the local optimal solution which would result in missed probable failure points.