Resilient System
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A Resilient System is a system that can maintain its core functionality and performance in the face of internal failures or external disturbances, often through a combination of redundancy, flexibility, and self-correction mechanisms.
- Context:
- It can withstand and recover from unexpected shocks, disruptions, or changes in its operating environment, ensuring that it continues to perform its essential functions.
- It can (often) employ Redundancy, Diversity, and Modularity to enhance its ability to absorb and adapt to disturbances, reducing the impact of localized failures.
- It can utilize Feedback Loops and Adaptive Mechanisms to continuously monitor and adjust its state based on internal and external conditions.
- It can often continue functioning, albeit potentially at a reduced capacity, even when some of its components fail, ensuring minimal disruption to overall operations.
- It can range from being a Physical Resilient System (e.g., infrastructure designed to withstand natural disasters) to a Computational Resilient System (e.g., distributed network]]s that re-route data).
- It can aim to balance efficiency with the ability to withstand and recover from various types of stress or failure, maintaining a trade-off between performance and resilience.
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- Example(s):
- Self-Correcting Systems that proactively adjusts to maintain stability.
- Ecological Systems with high biodiversity that can maintain overall ecosystem function despite the loss of certain species, ensuring long-term stability and resilience.
- Distributed Computer Networks that can route data through alternative paths when some nodes fail, maintaining communication even during partial system outages.
- Social Support Systems that provide multiple avenues for individuals to receive assistance during crises, such as public health system]]s that include both hospitals and community support networks.
- Financial Portfolios diversified across various asset classes to withstand market volatility, protecting against localized economic shocks.
- Smart Grid Systems that can isolate faulty sections and reroute power to minimize blackouts, ensuring a continuous supply even under failure conditions.
- Urban Planning Designs that incorporate green spaces, diverse transportation options, and flexible zoning to withstand and adapt to environmental, social, and economic changes.
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- Counter-Example(s):
- Brittle Systems that fail completely when subjected to stress or unexpected conditions, lacking the ability to adapt or absorb shocks.
- Highly Optimized Systems that prioritize efficiency over adaptability, often leading to catastrophic failures under unusual circumstances.
- Monoculture Agricultural Systems that are vulnerable to widespread failure from a single type of pest or disease, demonstrating low resilience due to lack of diversity.
- Centralized Systems that rely heavily on a single point of control, making them vulnerable to cascading failures if the central node is compromised.
- Single-Mode Systems that operate under fixed conditions without the flexibility to adjust to changes in the environment or context.
- See: Adaptive System, Self-Correcting System, Robust System, Antifragile System, System Redundancy, Hierarchical System