Performance solutions

Performance, responsiveness, and scalability are vital aspects of today's software. Yet many software systems cannot be used as initially implemented because of performance problems. Such failures can translate into significant costs for software developers due to damaged customer relations, lost income, and time and budget overruns.

Software Performance Engineering (SPE) is a systematic, quantitative approach to cost-effectively constructing software systems that meet performance objectives. This book details the various SPE models that can be used for a wide variety of applications, including Web-based and distributed systems. It describes effective data gathering and performance measurement techniques and explores the principles of performance-oriented design. You will also find practical guidance on implementing an SPE program. Specific topics of interest include:

• Reactive versus proactive performance management
• Using UML for SPE
• Specifying key performancescenarios and performance objectives
• Gathering performance data and estimating resource requirements
• Constructing and solving performance models
• Modeling complex interactions in distributed systems
• Planning and conducting performance measurements
• Principles for performance-oriented design
• Patterns that illustrate "best practice" approaches to achieving responsiveness and scalability
• Antipatterns that illustrate what not to do and how to fix a problem when you find it
• SPE activities for mid- to late life cycle
• Performance tuning strategies
• Integrating SPE into your software process
• SPE implementation strategies and critical success factors

Numerous real-world applications and case studies illustrate the application of SPE techniques to important application domains, including Web and embedded real-time systems.

With this book, you will gain the understanding and skills you need to make informed choices among architectural and design alternatives and create responsive, scalable software on time and within your budget.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface

I: Introduction and Overview

1: Introduction

The Importance of Performance

How Should You Manage Performance?

Software Performance Engineering

SPE for Object-Oriented Systems

Summary

References

2: SPE Quick View

SPE Process for Object-Oriented Systems

Case Study Illustrating the Process (ATM)

SPE in the Unified Software Process

Summary

References

3: SPE and the UML

Overview

Extending the UML

Use Cases and Scenarios

Extending the Sequence Diagram Notation

Specifying Time

Concurrency

SPE resource requirement specifications

Summary

References

II: SPE Models

4: Software Execution Models

Purpose

Representing Software Models

Model solutions

Analysis procedures

Translating sequence diagrams to execution graphs

ICAD Case Study

Modeling Hints

Summary

References

5: Web Applications and Other Distributed Systems

Web Applications

Distributed Object Technology

Modeling Distributed System Interactions

Example

Summary

References

6: System Execution Models

System Model Basics

Calculate parameters from software models

Using the Model Results for SPE

Case Study: Distributed System

Summary

References

III: Data Collection

7: SPE Data Collection

SPE Data Requirements

Performance Walkthrough

Resource Requirement Estimation Techniques

Summary

References

8: Software Measurement and Instrumentation

Experimental design

Performance Measurement

Instrumentation

ARM

References

IV: Software Evolution Issues

9: Performance-Oriented Design

Principles for Performance-Oriented Design

Performance Principles

Heuristics for Embedded Systems

References

10: Patterns and Performance

Overview

Patterns

Performance-oriented Patterns

Summary

References

11: Performance AntiPatterns

Overview

AntiPatterns

Performance-oriented AntiPatterns

Summary

References

12: Construction and Transition Activities

SPE Activities mid-late life cycle

Tuning Strategies

Performance testing

References

V: Special Applications

13: Web Applications

Introduction

Performance Issues

SPE Models for Web Applications

Case study: Nachtfliegen

com

Typical Problems

Summary

References

14: Embedded Real-Time Systems

Introduction

Embedded Real-Time Systems

Performance Issues

Case study: Mobile Telephone Switching Center

Typical Problems

Summary

References

VI: Making SPE Happen

15: SPE Process

The SPE Workflow

Motivation for integration

Milestones and deliverables

Integrating SPE into the Software Process

SPE extensions for the Unified Process

Integrating SPE into your Software Process

Summary

References

16: Implementation Issues

Tools

SPE Technology Transfer

SPE Implementation Strategies

Costs, risks & critical success factors

SPE Future Workflow, etc

References

VII: Appendixes

Appendix A: Summary: Execution Graph Notation

Appendix B: Summary: Sequence Diagram Notation and Extensions

Glossary

Index