An analytical model for UNIX® systems

This paper presents an analytical model for a single-processor interactive computer system running under the UNIX operating system. The model is a closed multichain, multiclass priority-queueing network model. The model solution is an approximation and is based on mean value analysis. The validity of the model has been established by using it with a variety of workloads and workload mixes and with a number of different computer systems. Mean response times predicted by the model are within 10 percent of measured values. The model can be extended to tightly coupled multiprocessor systems and multiple UNIX systems running with network file systems over local-area networks.

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