1.5 Need for performance evaluation

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Selecting a specific computer architecture for an application, an operating system, a database system, or a wide area or local area network system that will provide the optimum service to users requires up-front analysis and knowledge. As indicated, a specific computer architecture, operating system, database, and/or LAN are productivity-enhancing tools, but, as with other tools, if they are not used properly, they can actually decrease productivity. An operating system can provide a means to increase concurrency of access and to improve overall system resource utilization or it can become a bottleneck by blocking access. A database system can provide the means to more efficiently share information among many applications in a correct and concurrent manner or it can cause extensive blocking of information by dropping data availability. A LAN can provide a means to streamline information processing and eliminate redundancies, but it may also deter users from logging on because of link or protocol problems. To the common user, operating systems resource management, data processing, data extraction, data communications, and local area networks are a black hole of protocols, access schemes, routing algorithms, cabling and topology issues, and service problems. To alleviate these problems, the users should be educated about the basics of computer architecture, operating systems, database systems, and local area network technology and be provided with metrics and tools with which they can adequately wade through the myriad issues and select a computer system mapped to their needs.

When you look at the many options available for prospective computer systems purchasers to evaluate, you can see the reasons for their distress. A computer system can be very simple, providing just a single central processing unit, single primary memory bank, a single I/O channel for peripheral device access, and a single network link to interconnect to another machine. Conversely, the computer system can be highly elaborate, with multiple processors; cache memory; a high-tech associative memory system; SCSI controlled disk banks; specialized graphics engines; and possibly its own distributed operating system, protocols, and services. The prospective computer system purchaser must decide what type of motherboard(s) is required and how many of these; what type of memory and its architecture; what form of operating system, database system, and network cabling is necessary; and the types of electrical characteristics, signaling scheme, protocol for controlling transfers, routing schemes, topology of interconnection, reliability requirements, system and component fault tolerance if necessary, services, interface characteristics and requirements, and numerous other aspects. The extent of control, understanding, and compatibility with other equipment a user requires will decide which of these and other issues need to be addressed before a computer system is purchased.

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