For the editors of this book, as well as for many other researchers in the area of fault-tolerant computing, Dr. William Caswell Carter is one of the key figures in the formation and development of this important field. We felt that the IFIP Working Group 10.4 at Baden, Austria, in June 1986, which coincided with an important step in Bill's career, was an appropriate occasion to honor Bill's contributions and achievements by organizing a one- day "Symposium on the Evolution of Fault-Tolerant Computing" in the honor of William C. Carter. The Symposium, held on June 30, 1986, brought together a...