CHAOS: Controlled Hardware fAult injectOr System for gem5

TL;DR

CHAOS is an open-source, modular fault injection framework integrated with gem5, enabling detailed and configurable simulation of hardware faults to evaluate system resilience and robustness.

Contribution

It introduces a fully configurable fault injection system for gem5, supporting multi-level fault modeling and comprehensive resilience analysis.

Findings

Enables precise fault simulation across architectural levels

Supports diverse fault models for robustness testing

Facilitates research in dependable computing systems

Abstract

Fault injectors are essential tools for evaluating the reliability and resilience of computing systems. They enable the simulation of hardware and software faults to analyze system behavior under error conditions and assess its ability to operate correctly despite disruptions. Such analysis is critical for identifying vulnerabilities and improving system robustness. CHAOS is a modular, open-source, and fully configurable fault injection framework designed for the gem5 simulator. It facilitates precise and systematic fault injection across multiple architectural levels, supporting comprehensive evaluations of fault tolerance mechanisms and resilience strategies. Its high configurability and seamless integration with gem5 allow researchers to explore a wide range of fault models and complex scenarios, making CHAOS a valuable tool for advancing research in dependable and high-performance computing systems.