CS 457 System Performance Evaluation


Watch a video introduction to the course on YouTube.

Objectives

To provide an in-depth understanding of the basic techniques for system performance evaluation. Emphasis will be placed on the application of these techniques to computer systems and networks.

Intended Audience

This course is for CS majors.

Related Courses

Prerequisites: (CS 246 or 247) and (STAT 206 or 231/ 241); Computer Science students only.

References

The Art of Computer Systems Performance Analysis, by R. Jain, John Wiley & Sons, 1991. Course notes are required.

Schedule

3 hours of lectures per week.

Outline

Basic Concept of Modelling and Performance Evaluation (1-2 hours)

Performance metrics. Steps in a performance study. Evaluation techniques: analytic modeling, simulation, and measurement.

Measurement Techniques and Tools (2-3 hours)

Workload characterization. Performance monitors. Benchmarking.

Discrete Event Simulation (6-8 hours)

Queuing and non-queuing models. Event scheduling approach. Random number generators. Generation of random variates.

Verification and Validation of Simulation Models (2-3 hours)

Fundamental results in queuing systems. Model validation technique.

Analysis of Simulation Output (3-4 hours)

Input parameter estimation. Steady state and transient results. Replication. Statistical analysis of output data.

Experimental Design (1-2 hours)

Analytic Modelling of Queuing Systems (6-8 hours)

Single server queue. Network of queues. Scheduling disciplines. Resource utilization. Response time analysis.

Examples of Performance Models (6-8 hours)

Examples from computer systems and networks.