This document discusses system reliability. It defines reliability and explains that a system's reliability depends on the reliability of its individual components as well as how those components are configured. Components can be connected in series or parallel. For series connections, the system reliability is the product of the individual reliabilities. For parallel connections, the system reliability is higher than the individual reliabilities. More complex systems can have both series and parallel components. Having redundant parallel components, like standby components, improves reliability over simple parallel systems. Exponential and Weibull distributions are commonly used to model component failure rates and calculate reliability metrics.