17. Computer System Configuration And Methods

Part 2 Computer Systems System configuration and methods (Text No. 1 Chapter 5)

System Classification and Configuration Technology Client / Server System Distributed computing Networked computers in a LAN or WAN in a client / server environment A client is a computer which requests for resources from a server A server is a computer which has shared resources which clients can access if the right permissions and rights have been granted

System Classification and Configuration Technology Client / Server System Protocols used in networking environment FTP (File Transfer Protocol) Transfers files to and from a computer running an FTP server service Compatible with computers running on different platforms NFS (Network File System) Service for distributed computing system which provides a distributed file system, eliminating the need for keeping multiple copies of files on separate machines RPC (Remote Procedure Call) A message passing facility that allows a distributed application to call services available on various computer on a network. Used during remote administration of computers Web (TCP/IP)

System Classification and Configuration Technology Client / Server System Server Types Print server Stores spooled print job before sending to printer attached File server Store shared files which clients can access Database server Database management with search functions User Interface Server (Terminal Services Server) Provides terminal services to client machines Communication server Connects asynchronous devices to a LAN or a WAN through network and terminal emulation software.

System Classification and Configurations Client Server System Application Three-tier architecture Data Database is accessed and needed data referenced Function Message or data processing is performed Presentation Data exchange with users is implemented Differentiate 2-tier and 3-tier architectures.

Client/Server Architecture Two-tier Server Client Three-tier Data tier Function tier Presentation tier Application Database Client

Client/Server Architecture N-tier or Multiple-tier Data tier Multiple function tier Presentation tier WEB Pages Database Application Client

Client/Server System Strengths Open standards resulting multiple vendors Scalable Support distributed processing

Client/Server System Weaknesses Redundancy Difficult integrating wide variety of hardware and software Missing standard system development methodologies

System Classification and Configurations Client Server System Application Stored procedure A technique to speed up the client/server system Stores on the server the instructions that are frequently used by the client (SQL statements, code modules etc.) Since the client can execute the instructions stored in the server by just calling them, the volume of transmission data and transmission frequency are reduced. Likewise, by translating beforehand the instructions stored on the server side into an executable format, execution efficiency can be further improved.

System Configuration Reliability Processing Efficiency Backups Clusters

Reliability Configuration Simplex Dual Duplex

System Configurations (Reliability) Simplex System Operates without spare hardware Low cost of construction Single point of failure (SPOF) Server Storage Client Client Client

System Configurations (Reliability) Dual system Each device is duplicated to compose a system that performs perfect “parallel” running of two courses Redundant processing for “verification” of output Also called “cross-check” processing performed in ratios of 1:10ms or 1:100ms In the event of failure of any of the devices, the failed system is separated and processing is continued with the other processing system High cost and high reliability

System Configuration (Reliability) Duplex system Cold standby mode Standby system not turned on while on standby Hot standby mode Standby system turned on

System Configurations (Reliability)

Efficiency Configuration Multiprocessor System Loosely Coupled Tightly Coupled Tandem

System Configuration (Processing Efficiency) Multiprocessor system Multiprocessors share one operating system and auxiliary storage device Highly efficient Parallel processing under one operating system Two types of multiprocessor systems Loosely coupled Tightly coupled

Loosely Coupled MP In the event of failure, the processor in which the failure occurred can be separated and the operation can be continued High system reliability

Tightly coupled MP Multiple processors share the main storage unit Synchronization and information transmission between processors can be performed at high speed Complex communication control programs are not required

System Configuration (Processing Efficiency) Tandem multiprocessor system Multiple processors connected in series resulting in load balancing Front-end processor Placed in front of main processor – mainly processes client requests Back-end processor placed behind main processor to control large database – mainly processes the database

System Configuration (Back-up) Configurations to evade/recover from disasters Mirror site Files simultaneously updated. Downtime shortened Hot site Identical system environments are prepared with a backup system ready to go into operation Cold site Hardware ready but not configured with the system environment (data centre)

System Configuration (Clusters) Strategy that uses communication media to connect multiple computers for use as a single computer Dedicated Cluster Multiple computers with same OS and architecture are connected and used as a single computer Distributed Cluster Multiple computers of different types are connected Users can access resources from any of these

System Modes System processing mode Centralised processing system Distributed processing system System usage mode Batch processing system Online transaction processing system Real-time control processing system System operating mode Non-interactive processing systems Interactive processing systems

1. System Processing Modes Centralised processing system Concentrating data and processing in one location Extremely efficient Issues: When the data subject to processing increases, switching to a computer with a processing capacity that is capable of coping with that increase is required SPOF at the host Easy software maintenance and upgrades (but could be costly and complex to develop)

System Processing Mode Distributed Computing Data and/or processing is distributed into each of the computers and the user can perform processing using all of the system resources through the network. No SPOF Load balancing Resource sharing Types Mesh Vertically distributed configuration Horizontally distributed configuration

Distributed Computing (Vertical)

Distributed Computing (Horizontal)

Processing Modes Centralized processing Distributed processing Vertical Horizontal

2. System Usage Modes 1) Batch Processing Centralized processing using a dedicated computer All related data collected and processed together to get the required result. Payroll calculation Marking and aggregation of examinations Statistical analysis Centre batch processing Remote batch processing RJE (Remote job entry)

Centre Batch Processing Open batch processing User does everything from data storage to computer manipulation Closed batch processing User hands over procedure and data to operator who does the computer processing Cafeteria system User registers processing procedure and data in computer and leave the rest of the operation to the operator

Operating System for Batch Processing Job control language (JCL) to implement automatic job processing by specifying Job name Storage location of program to be used Storage location of data to be processed Area of work file and output file SPOOL Data subject to processing, as well as the processing results, are stored at high speed in an auxiliary storage device, which is the only device with which the processor exchanges data Frees up processors to perform process-oriented tasks, not I/O tasks

System Modes 2) Online transaction processing (OTP) system Systems in which terminal devices at remote locations and computers are connected through communication lines A great number of these systems are online transaction processing (OLTP) systems, in which the data generated as a result of a transaction is processed in real time

OTP Characteristic the data and information subject to processing is normally managed as a centrally controlled database Some example applications Seat reservation and ticketing system in the transportation business Deposit and money order systems as well as investment and loan systems in the finance sector Stock exchange system in the securities sector Sales inventory management system and customer information control system in wholesale and retail businesses

OTP Conditions Simultaneous execution control (exclusive control) to enable simultaneous response to the requests of multiple users Programs performing OTP must be reentrant programs Can be executed again before their former execution is completed Program area and the data area are separated for each transaction Simultaneous processing of multiple requests can be performed Correct results can be returned for each of these requests Likewise, since the resources are simultaneously shared by multiple users, it is necessary to perform simultaneous execution control (exclusive control) of the resources

OTP Failure recovery hardware (processor, disk, printer, etc.) breakdowns, as well as application failures, must be detected and coped with promptly Robust failure detection and failure recovery functions Backup and recovery Rollback strategy

System Usage Modes 3) Real-time control processing system The performance of immediate (real-time) calculation processing of the information obtained and the output of the results as control information is called real-time control The system adopting the real-time approach is generically known as the real-time processing system Timeliness is of utmost importance

Real-time control processing system Characteristics Seldom uses input devices such as a keyboard or output devices such as a printer In most cases, the input devices consist of diverse sensors, and the output devices of actuators and other control devices Likewise, the processors, mainly miniaturized microprocessors, are often composed of main storage units that store programs and data Some application examples Flight control system Air-traffic control system Power supply monitoring system Industrial robot control Motor fuel control system and braking system Household electric appliances such as rice cookers, washing machines and air conditioners

Real-time control processing system Real-time operating system Multi-task processing function Task switching function Function to minimize the load of the monitor itself Interfaces required RS-232C (Recommended Standard-232C) USB (Universal Serial Bus) Centronics interface SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface) GPIB (General Purpose Interface Bus)

3) System operating modes Non-interactive processing systems Example: batch processing Since processing is performed after the procedure is indicated, once it has started, humans cannot intervene in the processing

System operating modes Interactive processing systems Characteristic humans can provide indications or perform changes while interacting with the computer Functions of the software GUI Windows

System Performance Measures for computer system performance evaluation 1. Processing Time 2. Processing Efficiency

1. Processing Time Time taken to execute data processing by the computer system 2 standard ways of measurement Turn Around Time (TAT) Response Time

TAT Time taken to return the results when a batch processing job is submitted to the computer in batch processing systems In systems with high processing capacity, TAT is reduced by allocating a high priority to special jobs

Response Time In OTP systems time to get a produce a response from the computer from the time the transaction is input the main aim in the development of online systems is to shorten the response time, thereby, improving the efficiency of the computer processing

2. Processing Efficiency The ability of the computer system to process data Throughput Command/Instruction Mix MIPS FLOPS

Throughput Volume of work that can be processed by the computer system in a given time Batch processing : The number of jobs that can be processed within a given time Online transaction processing: The number of transactions that can be processed within a given time

Instruction Mix The combination of the execution time for representative instructions and frequency of such instruction occurrences found in programs represent the performance of the computer's processor Representative programs with the individual instruction can be divided into two kinds: Commercial mix: These are frequently used in business processing and uses mainly transmission instructions Gibson mix: These are frequently used in scientific calculations and uses mainly the calculation instructions

MIPS Million Instructions Per Second Average number of instructions that a processor can execute in units of millions/sec

FLOPS Floating Point Operations Per Second MIPS : representative measure of business processing performance evaluation FLOPS : the number of floating point calculations possible in one second for scientific calculations

Performance Design and Evaluation Performance Design Important to design performance in accordance with system specification requirements from users Performance Evaluation Representative methods include Test Program (Benchmark, Kernel) System Monitor

Test Program To simulate the actual business operations under typical (and non-typical) usage Benchmark Actual working programs are executed to measure system’s processing efficiency TPC benchmark TPC-A : Banking operations based on the I/O model of the ATM TPC-B : Database system in a batch processing environment. TPC-C : Order entry model TPC-D : Decision support applications SPEC Distributed processing benchmark especially UNIX systems SPEC-int : integer type calculations SPEC-fp : floating point type calculations

Benchmark – PC Processors WebBench – Web server Trade 2 – eBusiness server using Java MMB2 – Mail server NetBench – File server

System Monitor Combination of a diagnostic program with hardware and is used on the computer system to monitor conditions System monitors can take the form of programs known as software monitors or may also come with diagnostic hardware (hardware monitors)

System Reliability One construct of safety and efficiency is RASIS R eliability A vailability S erviceability I ntegrity S ecurity Includes measures of: Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) Mean Time To Repair (MTTR)

MTBF Degree of reliability (R in RASIS) Average time between the occurrence of one failure to the next MTBF = Total normal operation time Total number of times of normal execution

MTTR Degree of serviceability (S) in RASIS Average time in which equipment is not acting normally MTTR = Repair Time / n(Failures)

Availability Degree of availability (A) is RASIS Availability = MTBF / (MTBF + MTTR) However, the measure is operated on differently when applied to different system configurations Serial system Parallel system

Serial System’s Availability Serial system's availability = availability of equipment 1 * availability of equipment 2 , ... * availability of equipment n

Parallel System’s Availability Availability of serial systems connected in parallel Duplex system If one processor fails, the remaining one can still operate normally and the system still operates normally. The only situation where the entire system is stopped is when both the processors were to breakdown simultaneously Availability of a parallel system = 1 - ( ( 1 - availability of equipment 1) * ( 1 - availability of equipment 2) ) This first value of 1 in the formula represents a situation where there is no failure

Availability of 2-out-of-3 systems In a 2-out-of-3 system, the system can function normally using only 2-out-of-3 processors. 3 rd processor is added for redundancy However, the system will fail if either all the processors failed or two of the three processors were to fail.

Availability of 2-out-of-3 systems

Availability of 2-out-of-3 systems The system will operate for cases 1 to 4 All the equipment has an availability of 0.9 and a failure of 0.1 Availability in case 1 = 0.9 x 0.9 x 0.9 = 0.729 Availability in case 2 = 0.9 x 0.9 x 0.1 = 0.081 Availability in case 3 = 0.9 x 0.1 x 0.9 = 0.081 Availability in case 4 = 0.1 x 0.9 x 0.9 = 0.081 Availability of a 2 out of 3 system = 0.729 + 0.081 + 0.081 + 0.081 = 0.972

Reliability Design The following factors should be considered: Fail safe safety aspects in order to minimise the effect on the other parts when failure occurs For example, the traffic would automatically switch to red if the traffic control light system were to go down. This would help to prevent accidents that may result from the system's failure. Fail soft For example, if a power failure were to occur in a hospital, the minimum amount of lights would automatically be available and priority given to life support or life saving equipment when the generators are run. Fail (fool) proof To prevent the effect of mis-operation by the human element. For example, input checking is done and re-entry is made to the misentered data.

Reliability objectives and evaluation (RASIS) Reliability This is measured as the MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures). This can be considered as the normal operation time of the system. Availability This represents the possible usage ratio of the computer system. This is computed as A = MTBF / ( MTBF + MTTR) Serviceability This represents the ease of maintenance of the computer system. This is computed as MTTR (Mean Time To Repair). This can be considered as the down time for the system. Integrity This represents the ability to prevent the data from being corrupted Security This represents the ability to ensure the security of the data

Reliability objectives and evaluation (Bathtub Curve) Curve of failure rate against time Initial failure period (Burn-in) Failure rate for when system is initially installed Decreasing failure rate for stable operations Ad hoc failure period (Useful Life) Chance events Fairly constant failure rate System’s steady period Critical failure (Wear-out) Fatigue/aging of system Increased failure rate Time to change/modify/upgrade/maintain

Reliability objectives and evaluation (Uninterrupted Operation) There are usage situations which that do not allow the system to stop operation. This means continuous operation is required. life support systems in the hospitals or banking systems Implemented by using UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) Multiplexing systems Fault-tolerant systems

Financial Consideration Setup cost Operating cost

17. Computer System Configuration And Methods

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