CS457 - System Performance Evaluation - Winter 2008

Lecture 1 - Introduction

Practical Details

Performance Evaluation

Examples

1. Sometimes we are wrong
   • David Patterson
2. Sometimes we want to avoid being wrong
   • Scheduling in 1970
   • Quest

Being Right

• Find the Goldilocks solution
  • Not too big, not too small
• Don't find it `just by accident'.
  • Controlled procedures where you know what you're doing.
• Want to help others be right
  • Generate understanding

Topics

1. Abstract: based on objectives
2. Design: what to measure
3. Measure: good measurements produce data
4. Analyse: data requires objective analysis to produce results
5. Simulate: results require surface explanations
6. Model: surface explanations sometimes demand deep explanations

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