Simulation of a distributed processing system: A case study

Many modern computer systems require a continual monitoring of their projected performance from the design phase until the system becomes operational. This means forecasting system performance with very little data available during the early design phase and continually updating the forecast as the design matures. While designing computer systems with time-critical performance constraints, the timing requirements are hard to meet if crucial decisions are not made at the design stage. Experience with the Over The Horizon— Backscatter radar data processing project is used as an example to illustrate how these decisions are made using a variety of techniques such as benchmark testing, paper-pencil analysis, and simulation.