Computer systems performance measurement: theory and practice

The results of the last three decades of research into computer-systems-performance measurement are combined into a unified body of knowledge: theory and practice. Unification is based upon a formulation of performance measurement. A computer system is a mathematical object, which can be measured. Performance measurement entails ascertaining the extent of this object during execution. An object (computer system, task, program, procedure) is defined recursively in terms of lower level objects. A set of measures, which apply at every level of the hierarchy, has been defined mathematically. This set of equations is a formulation of performance measurement. A number of graphical representations of these equations, for use in evaluating the measured data, are demonstrated.