Performance Modelling (OCR A Level Computer Science)
Revision Note
Written by: James Woodhouse
Reviewed by: Lucy Kirkham
Performance Modelling
What is Performance Modelling?
Performance modelling is when the behaviour of something is tested or simulated before it is used in the real world
It is a systematic approach that can be used for evaluating and predicting the performance characteristics of a software system
Using Performance Modelling in Software Production
Performance modelling can be used to help understand how the software will behave under different load conditions and configurations
It uses various metrics like response time and throughput to identify potential bottlenecks which can be used by developers to address performance issues before they affect end-users
It can be integrated into various stages of the software development including the:
Design phase to make architectural decisions
Testing phase to simulate real world scenarios and measure the software's performance
Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
Stress testing can ensure a system can cope with a large set of data or a large number of users. | The outcome of performance modelling is only as useful as the accuracy of the data that is fed into it. |
You are able to predict problems and act on them before the problems actually occur in the real world. | If the rules that made up the model are wrong then it will produce incorrect results. |
Examples of Performance Modelling
Database Optimisation
Performance modelling can be used to simulate different database architectures and query strategies to find the most efficient setup
It can help select the best indexing strategy and estimate the query response times under varying loads
It may help decide between a relational database design or a single table design
Caching Mechanisms
By modelling how different caching strategies perform under various scenarios, optimal cache sizes can be determined
Developers can assess the hit/miss ratio of caches and the latency improvements gained through caching
Use of performance modelling to determine a caching mechanism
Energy Efficiency
For mobile or embedded systems, performance modelling can be used to estimate power consumption under different usage patterns
It can be useful for battery-powered devices where power consumption is a critical factor
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