Skip to main content

An Agenda for Improved Evaluation of Supercomputer Performance (1986) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:

1. Introduction
Pages 9-12

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.


From page 9...
... Both of these circumstances demand reliable evaluation of supercomputer performance -- on the one hand, to make the most of costly resources and, on the other, to devise and select even more powerful designs. THE PROBLEM The task undertaken here is to survey briefly the current state of affairs in the evaluation of supercomputers, to suggest what improvements might be attainable, and to point broadly to desirable directions of inquiry (Appendix A)
Read the entire page →
From page 10...
... Their successes include analytic models, empirical relations between hardware burst rates and actual computational rates, queuing network models, and prediction of throughput and response time. Nevertheless, it is not possible to say that the fully satisfactory characterization of even sequential, single-processor machines and their workloads is well in hand.
Read the entire page →
From page 11...
... The results of this task, accomplished in a few months, are presented in this report. Given its task and the status of the field, the committee did not consider it fruitful to undertake an exhaustive review of the broad area of computer performance evaluation; rather, on the basis of the expertise of its own members and of appropriate contacts within the industrial, research, and user communities, the committee undertook to draw broad conclusions, to sketch improvements that seem attainable in performance evaluation, and to outline an agenda, or framework, for research whose results would underpin the development of an appropriate performance evaluation methodology.
Read the entire page →
From page 12...
... Chapter 3 then critiques the current measurement practice on the basis of these principles. Next, Chapter 4 describes some improvements that seem attainable in supercomputer performance evaluation.
Read the entire page →

Key Terms

  • supercomputer performance
  • analytic models
  • evaluation methodology
  • scientific base
  • draw broad

  • network models
  • available methods
  • methods directly
  • evaluating radically
  • powerful designs

  • response time
  • user communities
  • queuing network
  • processor architecture
  • actual computational

  • conventional sequential
  • performance applicable
  • performance experience
  • successes include
  • application dependent

  • single figure
  • demand reliable
  • costly resource
  • empirical relations
  • measures appropriate

  • available architectures
  • costly resources
  • conclusion led
  • novel models
  • computer performance


    • This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
    More information on Chapter Skim is available.