1. A machine-implemented process for advising on several alternatives for recovering from single or multiple hardware component failures in a distributed processing well-site instrumentation logging system having a plurality of processors and associated pheripheral components forming a plurality of processor groupings, and having a plurality of software images to be run by said plurality of processor groupings comprising the following process steps: (a) identifying the processors and components forming the plurality of processor groupings together with the other hardware components which make up the configuration of the well-site instrumentation logging system; (b) identifying the particular rules, assumptions, and constraints posed by the configuration of the well-site instrumentation logging system; (c) identifying any preference information concerning the configuration; (d) establishing, in order of preference, reconfiguration scenarios possible under the particular rules, assumptions and constraints of the system for each probable single or multiple hardware component failure; (e) testing those possible reconfiguration scenarios against the rules, assumptions and constraints of the system; and (f) displaying the permissible reconfiguration scenarios in order of preference.