Cascading failure

An animation demonstrating how a single failure may result in other failures throughout a network.

A cascading failure is a failure in a system of interconnected parts in which the failure of one or few parts leads to the failure of other parts, growing progressively as a result of positive feedback. This can occur when a single part fails, increasing the probability that other portions of the system fail.^[1]^[2]^[3] Such a failure may happen in many types of systems, including power transmission, computer networking, finance, transportation systems, organisms, the human body, and ecosystems.

Cascading failures may occur when one part of the system fails. When this happens, other parts must then compensate for the failed component. This in turn overloads these nodes, causing them to fail as well, prompting additional nodes to fail one after another.

^ Mahmoud, Magdi S.; Xia, Yuanqing (2019). "Cyberphysical Security Methods". Networked Control Systems. pp. 389–456. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-816119-7.00017-4. ISBN 978-0-12-816119-7. Cascading failure is kind of failure in a system comprising interconnected parts, in which the failure of a part can trigger the failure of successive parts. Such a failure is common in computer networks and power systems.
^ Farrell, Alexander E.; Zerriffi, Hisham (2004). "Electric Power: Critical Infrastructure Protection". Encyclopedia of Energy. pp. 203–215. doi:10.1016/B0-12-176480-X/00516-7. ISBN 978-0-12-176480-7. cascading failure: A disruption at one point in a network that causes a disruption other points, leading to a catastrophic system failure.
^ Ulrich, Mike (2016). "Addressing Cascading Failures". In Murphy, Niall Richard; Beyer, Betsy; Jones, Chris; Petoff, Jennifer (eds.). Site Reliability Engineering: How Google Runs Production Systems. O'Reilly. ISBN 978-1-4919-5117-0.

[1] Mahmoud, Magdi S.; Xia, Yuanqing (2019). "Cyberphysical Security Methods". Networked Control Systems. pp. 389–456. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-816119-7.00017-4. ISBN 978-0-12-816119-7. Cascading failure is kind of failure in a system comprising interconnected parts, in which the failure of a part can trigger the failure of successive parts. Such a failure is common in computer networks and power systems.

[2] Farrell, Alexander E.; Zerriffi, Hisham (2004). "Electric Power: Critical Infrastructure Protection". Encyclopedia of Energy. pp. 203–215. doi:10.1016/B0-12-176480-X/00516-7. ISBN 978-0-12-176480-7. cascading failure: A disruption at one point in a network that causes a disruption other points, leading to a catastrophic system failure.

[3] Ulrich, Mike (2016). "Addressing Cascading Failures". In Murphy, Niall Richard; Beyer, Betsy; Jones, Chris; Petoff, Jennifer (eds.). Site Reliability Engineering: How Google Runs Production Systems. O'Reilly. ISBN 978-1-4919-5117-0.

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