Some simplified performance modeling techniques with applications to a new ring-structured microcomputer network

This paper presents a simplified approach to developing performance models for complex systems, such as distributed processing systems, and illustrates the approach by applying it to studying the performance of a new ring-structured microcomputer network. The approach utilizes both regression (curve-fitting) techniques and queueing theory analysis, and suggests that response times of the system studied can be closely approximated by a multiserver queueing model which is generalized to allow a noninteger number of servers. Both the approach and the approximate model developed appear to be applicable to a wide variety of systems.