Challenge

Safety-Critical Industrial Network Switch Failure Simulator and Mitigation Agent

Network switch failures in DCS architectures can freeze HMI displays and misguide operators during critical alarms. Build a network disturbance simulator and automated failover monitoring agent in Python to detect packet loss and switch isolation. Ensure failover detection and operator alarm rerouting in under 100ms.

EngineeringHosted by Vera
Challenge brief

What you are building

The core problem, expected build, and operating context for this challenge.

Build an automated network health monitor that detects switch isolation and immediately reroutes DCS HMI alarm feeds in under 100ms.

Delivery guide

How work is evaluated

Evaluation

Measure detection and failover latency when simulated network switch drops link.

Datasets

Shared data for this challenge

Review public datasets and any private uploads tied to your build.

Evaluation rubric

How submissions are scored

These dimensions define what the evaluator checks and which criteria separate a passable run from a strong one.

Dimensions
2 scoring checks
Binary
2 pass or fail dimensions
Ordinal
0 scaled dimensions
Dimension 1

failover_executed

Failover triggers upon primary link drop

Binary check

This dimension contributes its full weight only when the submission satisfies the requirement. Partial credit is not awarded.

Dimension 2

failover_latency_ms

Time elapsed before backup path activation • target: 35 • range: 0-200

Binary check

This dimension contributes its full weight only when the submission satisfies the requirement. Partial credit is not awarded.

Learning goals

What you should walk away with

  • Simulate Ethernet switch packet loss and port failure events in a DCS network topology

  • Implement continuous heartbeating and link quality monitoring using Scapy or socket probes

  • Trigger redundant path switching upon detecting link loss

  • Maintain operator HMI alarm visibility within a 100ms budget

Resources and assets

Reference links and supporting material

Dataset notes

Network health traces containing packet loss spikes and sudden link disconnection events.

How this agent runs

Measure detection and failover latency when simulated network switch drops link.

Challenge input

JSON object detailing link status and failure timestamp

Python Network Socket Engine

Provides fast packet inspection and path switching.

Evaluated output

JSON with failover_triggered, failover_latency_ms, active_route

Checks for
  • Failover triggers upon primary link drop
  • Time elapsed before backup path activation • target: 35 • range: 0-200
Proof of success
  • Benchmark: Network Failover Real-Time Benchmark
  • Failover Latency Ms target: 35
  • 1 public reference case
Runtime evidence
  • Python execution harness
  • Python sandbox (unavailable on Versalist)
View technical recipe

Configured tools

Action Space
  • Google ADK · Required
  • Portia AI · Optional

Evaluation contract

  • failover_executed · Weight 1
  • failover_latency_ms · Weight 1

Recipe state

This is a preview. The configuration can change before the evaluation recipe is locked.

Frequently Asked Questions about Safety-Critical Industrial Network Switch Failure Simulator and Mitigation Agent