The Simalytic Modeling Technique

Abstract

While the advent of desktop and departmental servers started the popularity of multiple-tier application designs (2-tier, 3-tier, n-tier, etc.), the e-commerce explosion has forced many more applications into a multiple-tier implementation using the Internet. However, the popularity of providing web access to new and existing applications has created significant problems for the performance analyst and the capacity planner. This chapter introduces “Simalytic” (Simulation/Analytic) Modeling, a new approach to modeling the performance of transaction based client/server applications specifically addressing the problems of modeling client/server applications for capacity planning. This technique uses a general purpose simulation tool as an underlying framework, combined with analytic results to represent individual nodes, to predict the capacity requirements in an enterprise model. It combines modeling tools already in place for the individual systems (platform-centric and general purpose) to address heterogeneous environments with a modeling framework that connects the parts of an application.

Simalytic^™, Simalytic Modeling^™, Simalytic Modeling Technique^™, Simalytic Enterprise Modeling^™, Simalytic Function^™, and Spiral Modeling Methodology^™ are trademarked by Tim R. Norton. All other trademarked names and terms are the property of their respective owners.