StandbyDistribution
✖
StandbyDistribution
represents a standby distribution with component lifetime distributions disti. When component fails, component
will become active.
represents a standby distribution where switching from component to component
succeeds with probability p.
represents a standby distribution where the switch component has lifetime distribution sdist.
represents a standby distribution where the component lifetime distribution follows disti,inactive in inactive mode and disti,active in active mode.
Details

- StandbyDistribution[…,…] represents a system with perfect switching where transitioning between components always succeeds.
- StandbyDistribution[…,…,s] represents a system with imperfect switching. If s is a distribution, it represents that lifetime of the switch; otherwise it represents the probability of a successful transition between components.
- StandbyDistribution[…,{…,Ai,…},…] represents a standby distribution where the
component follows a cold standby distribution Ai when it is active, and does not deteriorate when it is inactive.
- StandbyDistribution[…,{…,{Ii,Ai},…},…] represents a standby distribution where the
component follows a warm standby distribution. The component deteriorates following distribution Ii when it is inactive and distribution Ai when it is active.
- Any mix of cold and warm standby component distributions can be used.
- The survival function and other properties for StandbyDistribution can be derived from the equivalent TransformedDistribution[expr,dists] with the distribution assumptions dists given by {a1A1,a2A2,…,i2I2,i3I3,…,sS,uUniformDistribution[{0,1}]}.
-
StandbyDistribution[…] TransformedDistribution[…,dists] a1+a2+a3+⋯ A1,{A2,A3,…},p a1+ a2Boole[p>u]+a3Boole[p2>u]+⋯ A1,{A2,A3,…},S a1+a2Boole[s>a1]+a3Boole[s>a1+a2]+⋯ A1,{{I2,A2},{I3,A3},…} a1+a2Boole[i2>a1]+a3Boole[i3>a1+a2Boole[i2>a1]]+⋯ A1,{{I2,A2},{I3,A3},…},p a1+a2 Boole[i2>a1∧p>u]+a3Boole[i3>a1+ a2Boole[i2>a1]∧p2>u]+⋯ A1,{{I2,A2},{I3,A3},…},S a1+a2 Boole[i2>a1∧s>a1]+a3Boole[i3>a1+a2Boole[i2>a1]∧s>a1+a2Boole[i2>a1]]+⋯ - StandbyDistribution can be used with such functions as Mean, SurvivalFunction, HazardFunction, ReliabilityDistribution, and RandomVariate.
Examples
open allclose allBasic Examples (3)Summary of the most common use cases
Define a cold standby system with perfect switching:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-ylr7e

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-6gojy


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-xows0

Compare to a non-standby system:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-inbwud

Define a cold standby system with imperfect switching:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-5nv0

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-ba2h74


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-epsxfz

Compare to a non-standby system:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-kwmghc

Define cold and warm standby systems, with inactive failure rate half the active failure rate:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-koad2r

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-5dmgxi

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-d41rj4
Compute the mean time to failure:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-qn3cgl

Compare the survival functions:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-23gyd

Scope (17)Survey of the scope of standard use cases
Cold Standby and Perfect Switching (3)
Define a cold standby system with three identical components:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-666cni

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-idhtll

Define a cold standby system with two different components:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-uxvs60
Compute the survival function:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-9fylc3

Study a component with three identical components in standby:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-ednm3c

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-8p420d

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-swsfld
Compare with the probability density function:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-l7jr5j

Cold Standby and Imperfect Switching (4)
A cold standby system where the switch succeeds with probability p:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-n5v0hq
Find the mean time to failure:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-udmjrt

Compare perfect switching to imperfect switching where the switch works half the time:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-ggq1pn

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-61un0v

A cold standby system where the switch is modeled by a lifetime distribution:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-un29z4

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-z1gqxq

Study the effect of having worse switches:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-z69pqf

Cold standby system with three components and a switch modeled by a distribution:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-i4a3fw

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-0mf6m9

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-46emkh
Compare with the probability density function:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-mzaj9s

A switch modeled with a probability of success:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-5o5ei5

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-3z6tqs

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-w3nfr1
Compare with the probability density:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-rv604u

Warm Standby and Perfect Switching (3)
Standby system where the component can fail while in standby:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-25vjuq
Find the mean time to failure:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-x1pfc1

System with multiple components that can fail in standby:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-lt3u5p
Compare the survival function to a cold standby system:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-neca7s

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-3toxaj

Warm standby system with two components in standby:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-x4zheh

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-51yyyw

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-iccnnh
Compare with the probability density function:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-qzkztr

Warm Standby and Imperfect Switching (4)
Warm standby system where the switch succeeds with a probability p:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-g4ot6j
Compute the mean time to failure:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-7fy377

Warm standby system where the switch has a lifetime distribution:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-45v1gu
Compute the mean time to failure:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-i4x1on

Warm standby system where the switch is modeled with a lifetime distribution:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-zsdpj4

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-2fyei7

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-ngxct9
Compare with the probability density function:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-lb8c3j

System where the switch succeeds with a probability:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-tgq8et

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-20eqrd

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-oibb18

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-we52u8

Mixed Warm and Cold Standby Systems (3)
Standby system where the second component can fail while in standby:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-6i5tdq

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-d2c442
The system where the second and third component switch places:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-6fx0k8
Compare the survival functions:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-vgmwy0

A mixed cold and warm standby system, where the switch succeeds with probability :

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-lidec8

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-swgnm

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-e5ui4r

Generate random numbers and compare with probability density:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-6s4skz

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-d3cxmi

Standby system where one component can fail while in standby, and a switch with a lifetime:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-wnt63v

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-eud1g4
Compare the survival functions with different switch failure rates:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-hmy6z4

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-ftj43p

Applications (2)Sample problems that can be solved with this function
The lifetime of a component is exponentially distributed. To improve reliability, a second identical component is acquired. Find the most efficient use of this second component:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-6aw57i
One alternative is a parallel configuration:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-2bswtw
Another alternative is a standby configuration, with a switch that succeeds with probability p:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-8aqjv1
Plot the survival function of the two alternatives and compare with the original component, assuming perfect switching:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-ebpgrp

Simulate failure times for 30 standby systems and find the best configuration:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-xl5ucd

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-jn9ouu

Check how bad a switch you can use while still being better than a parallel system:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-bvyu33

The requirement on the switch to equal a parallel system gets lower with time:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-h7klo5


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-0z24ap

Consider a computer server. It requires a power supply, hard drives, a network card, and a router to fulfill its intended function. The power supply is backed by a backup power outlet and a diesel generator in cold standby:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-jp98o
The hard drives are in a RAID configuration, which requires 2 out of 3 to work:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-v208y2
The network card has a second card in standby:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-p2yiil
Two routers are connected in parallel:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-on8eq7

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-xy4wmi
The resulting survival function:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-coq0x2


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-yc26na

Compute the mean time to failure numerically:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-q0g2k7

Find the probability that the server survives for three months:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-43rtnc

Define a consumer version that does not contain any redundancy:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-kw5aw2

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-ft2o49

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-s92uvf

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-5pj4us

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-oukbue
Compare the survival functions:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-kl0ug0

Properties & Relations (9)Properties of the function, and connections to other functions
Cold standby corresponds to the sum of component lifetimes:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-giiezz

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-74kb4f

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-49vy3u
Compare the survival functions:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-wahyu1


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-78lr70


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-ytn2n8

Cold standby with identical exponentially distributed components is an ErlangDistribution:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-s4ef1h

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-d5p92h


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-7rltw8


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-0gua3z

Cold standby where component lifetimes follow the ExponentialDistribution corresponds to the HypoexponentialDistribution:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-1x9gob

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-s271x2


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-kdjvbn


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-l733ef

StandbyDistribution is a special case of TransformedDistribution:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-xrgq26

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-ps4gh0

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-ocvg8x
Compare the survival functions:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-vykdxf


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-qz587a


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-fg9i89

StandbyDistribution is a special case of MixtureDistribution:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-4nlrlf

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-y7aotg

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-ckgr4n
Compare the probability density function:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-5til8c


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-mefa7o


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-srg29x

StandbyDistribution can be used in ReliabilityDistribution:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-hrmb92
Compute the survival function:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-bxz31p

ReliabilityDistribution can be used in StandbyDistribution:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-hhakiy

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-gb5vmv
Compare with the probability density function:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-s4z5hj

StandbyDistribution can be used in FailureDistribution:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-ek6btg
Compute the survival function:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-x7sl0r

FailureDistribution can be used in StandbyDistribution:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-t8i4t5

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-fqv8f1
Compare with the probability density function:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-7llkm5

Possible Issues (1)Common pitfalls and unexpected behavior
Component distributions need to have a positive domain:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-f7cake

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-dlbxq9


Use TruncatedDistribution to restrict the domain to positive values only:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-xm6lhf

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tp0cxgnlgcwpm-lvgk8t

Wolfram Research (2012), StandbyDistribution, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/StandbyDistribution.html.
Text
Wolfram Research (2012), StandbyDistribution, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/StandbyDistribution.html.
Wolfram Research (2012), StandbyDistribution, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/StandbyDistribution.html.
CMS
Wolfram Language. 2012. "StandbyDistribution." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/StandbyDistribution.html.
Wolfram Language. 2012. "StandbyDistribution." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/StandbyDistribution.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (2012). StandbyDistribution. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/StandbyDistribution.html
Wolfram Language. (2012). StandbyDistribution. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/StandbyDistribution.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_standbydistribution, author="Wolfram Research", title="{StandbyDistribution}", year="2012", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/StandbyDistribution.html}", note=[Accessed: 14-May-2025
]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2025_standbydistribution, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={StandbyDistribution}, year={2012}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/StandbyDistribution.html}, note=[Accessed: 14-May-2025
]}