The aim of this paper is to test and validate a methodology for the design of distributed systems by evaluating performances and dependability (more specially reliability and availability). The optimal material architecture of the automation system is determined from an over-dimensioned preliminary material architecture, and from the functional decomposition of this system. The interest of this method is to allow an early comparison of several choices of architecture, and of sets of components, during the designing of the system. One of the results of our work is described in the following as the application of the method for the designing of a pilot thermal process.
