Condition-based Maintenance for Systems with Dependencies: Related Concepts, Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Many critical systems with dependencies do not collapse immediately due to single-point failures but are more vulnerable to the cascading effects of these failures. Condition-based maintenance (CBM) has been found useful not only in improving availability of technical system but also in reducing the risks related to unexpected breakdowns, including those events related to dependencies, such as cascading failures. The serious disasters created by such failures and increased requirements for CBM policy due to dependencies urges a comprehensive study on current research and future challenges. In this study, a systematic literature review on the implementations of CBM in the systems with dependencies is conducted. Relevant papers are deliberately selected and analyzed in the VOSviewer program, to identify co-occurrences of keywords and so to illustrate basic concepts of CBM. Specifically, considering various types of dependencies, challenges, research advancements and research perspectives are identified. Opportunities of CBM for improving availability and reducing risks of dependent systems are finally explored.