A cascading failure is failure in a system of interconnected parts, where the service provided depends on the operation of a preceding part, and the failure of a preceding part can trigger the failure of successive parts. Redundant parts can lessen the impact of, but not prevent, a failure. Monitoring the operation of a system, in real-time, and judicious disconnection of parts can stop a cascade.

Cascading failure is a common effect seen in high voltage systems, where a single point of failure (SPF) on a fully loaded or slightly overloaded system results in a sudden spike across all nodes of the system. This surge current can induce the already overloaded nodes into failure, setting off more overloads and thereby taking down the entire system in a very short time.

Analogues to this exist in biology of cascade-like effects where a small reaction can have system-wide implications. One example to this is the release of toxins caused by a small ischaemic attack, which kill off far more cells than the initial damage, resulting in more toxins being released. Current research is to find a way to block this cascade in stroke patients to minimise the damage.

The common Cockcroft-Walton generator is another example, where one failed diode can result in all the diodes failing in a fraction of a second.

Cascading failure program Links

• Monash University VLAB cascading failure program in Java - Alex Tee Neng Heng and David Green

See also

• Byzantine failure

External links

• A. E. Motter and Y.-C. Lai, Cascade-based attacks on complex networks, Physical Review E (Rapid Communications) 66, 065102 (2002).
• Protection Strategies for Cascading Grid Failures — A Shortcut Approach
• Ian Dobson, Benjamin A. Carreras, and David E. Newman, preprint A loading-dependent model of probabilistic cascading failure, Probability in the Engineering and Informational Sciences, vol. 19, no. 1, January 2005, pp. 15-32.

Failure | Reliability engineering