Availability Classifications

The classification of availability is somewhat flexible and is largely based on the types of
downtimes used in the computation and on the relationship with time (i.e. the span of time
to which the availability refers). As a result, there are a number of different classifications of
availability, including:

Instantaneous (or Point) Availability

Average Uptime Availability (or Mean Availability)

Steady State Availability

Inherent Availability

Achieved Availability

Operational Availability

A wide range of availability classifications and definitions exist. The ones presented here are
the most common but variations exist and you should be aware of how they are calculated
and what they mean so that you can make an appropriate choice for the analysis you are
performing.
Instantaneous or Point Availability, A(t)
Instantaneous (or point) availability is the probability that a system (or component) will be
operational (up and running) at a specific time, t. This classification is typically used in the
military, as it is sometimes necessary to estimate the availability of a system at a specific
time of interest (e.g. when a certain mission is to happen). The point availability is very
similar to the reliability function in that it gives a probability that a system will function at
the given time, t. Unlike reliability, however, the instantaneous availability measure
incorporates maintainability information. At a given time, t, the system will be operational if
one of the following conditions is met

(1)

The system functioned properly from 0 to t, i.e. it never failed by time t. The
probability of this happening is R(t).
Or,

The system functioned properly since the last repair at time u, 0 < u < t. The
probability of this condition is: