System Diagnostics

From Star Trek: Gamma One

The crew of a Starfleet ship has access to a series of protocols and computer programs used to diagnose the functioning ability of the vessel's systems and to search for malfunctions. These system diagnostics range over varying degrees of intensity:

• Level One: The most extensive of the diagnostics, a Level One is generally performed only in extreme circumstances. In addition to the most intensive computer checks possible, a team of officers manually runs tests on the system, or systems, in questions. This can take several hours to perform, and the systems must often be taken off-line for such a diagnostic.

• Level Two: Almost as extensive as a Level One diagnostic, the Level Two also requires manual checks, but of fewer aspects. This results in slightly less precise results, but takes only half the time a Level One diagnostic does.

• Level Three: At this level, the ship's computer handles most of the checks involved in the diagnostic, with crew verification required only on key systems. It generally runs in ten minutes or less.

• Level Four: Completely automated, this diagnostic is used when a suspected malfunction exists within a particular system. Ten seconds or less is required.

• Level Five: A routine diagnostic, the Level Five is used as routine preventative mainstenance to verify system performance, and during crises when resource management requires careful allocation of power and system use. It uses less sophisticated sets of pre-programmed checks than a Level Four diagnostic, and runs in 2.5 seconds or less.

The diagnostic chosen to use in any particular situation depends greatly on the critical nature of the situation and time constraints.