A tool for enforcing system structure
Reliability considerations had little influence in the design of the first generation of computers. Notable exceptions being, on the hardware side, some circuitry incorporated into the UNIVAC I for checking purposes, and on the software side, the frequency counts employed by von Neumann and Goldstine for measurement purposes. The second generation of computers witnessed a wider interest in hardware reliability while essentially ignoring the software reliability problem. Current computer systems (e.g., IBM/370) incorporate elaborate hardware reliability considerations in their design while continuing to ignore reliable software design.