Performance Modelling of Computer Systems
Instructor
Course Organisation
The course will start on Thursday 22nd April. It will run twice a week during the Summer Semester at the following times and locations:
- Monday 10:00-12:00 Room 067 (Oettingenstr.)
- Thursday 18:00-20:00 Room 067 (Oettingenstr.)
Thursday lectures will be mainly devoted to tutorials and exercises, including practical sessions in which some of the modelling methods described during the course will be implemented as computer programs.
Synopsis
This course offers the basics of quantitative methods for the evaluation of the performance of hardware/software systems. The focus is on analytical models, where the system under scrutiny can be conveniently represented as a mathematical problem. The solution of this problem allows the modeller to obtain indices of performance such as throughput, utilisation, and response time. A central role will be played by stochastic models, which enable the expression of uncertainties using a probabilistic framework.
The course is self-contained and no prior knowledge is required. The course will cover elementary notions of probability theory, Markov chains, and high-level modelling languages based on stochastic processes, with emphasis on the process algebra PEPA.
Lecture Notes
Handouts which cover all the material will be provided to students during the lectures. References to textbooks and other material will be given in due course.
Other Information
The course will be taught in English. For further information please contact the instructor at his email address.
