COMPUTER APPARATUSES AND PROCESSES FOR ANALYZING A SYSTEM HAVING CUMULATIVE AND COMPETING CAUSE FAILURE MODES

Computer apparatuses and processes for analyzing a system are provided. The apparatuses and processes incorporate the steps of collecting data from a first system, wherein the first system has a plurality of cumulative cause failure modes and a plurality of competing cause failure modes and the data relates to said failure modes, parameterizing the data for use in a computerized simulation of a second system, and executing a simulation of the second system. The execution of the simulation also includes the steps of calculating a first uptime for each failure mode based upon the data collected from the first system, determining which of the cumulative cause failure modes and competing cause failure modes causes a first loss event of the second system by selecting the smallest value of the first uptimes, and if the failure mode which causes the first loss event of the second system is one of the plurality of cumulative cause failure modes, then calculating a second uptime for only the cumulative cause failure mode which causes the first loss event for the second system and calculating a second uptime for each one of the plurality of competing cause failure modes.