Performance Analysis and Capacity Planning

Performance Analysis is the monitoring of existing system resource usage to respond to unusual in resource usage or failures. The scope of the analysis is typically a server or individual component at a time, and is a short term, technically oriented activity. This function supports the Capacity Planning and Service Level Management functions, as well as Performance Engineering during development.

Capacity Planning is the projection of future resource requirements based on historical data and growth in system projections. Capacity plans must be concerned with responding to resource needs within budgetary constraints, taking into account cycles in
· Resource demand (e.g., year end, or quarterly),
· Peak periods (e.g., tax time),
· Growth and
· New development,
· Leases and
· Depreciation on equipment.

Performance Analysis:

Performance Analysis is the identification/observation of programs behavior using information gathered according to the program runs (i.e. it is a form of dynamic analysis).

The goal of Performance Analysis is to determine which parts of a program are fully optimized for speed, memory and CPU utilization. Dynamic Code Analysis is the Analysis of computer software that is performed during execution of programs that are built from that software on real or virtual processes. Analysis that is performed during with-out executing programs is known as static analysis, as opposed to dynamic code analysis.

Three basic steps in the performance analysis process:

Data collection
Data transformation
Data visualization

Data collection is the process by which data about application performance are obtained from an executing program. Data are normally collected in a file, either during or after execution, although in some situations it may be presented to the user in real time.

Data transformation involves the processes for selecting, targeting, converting, and mapping data so that it may be used by multiple systems.

Data Visualization is the graphical presentation of information, with the goal of providing the viewer with a qualitative understanding of the information contents.

Capacity planning:

Definition:
Capacity planning is the science and art of estimating the space, computer, software, hardware and network infrastructure resources that will be needed over some future period of time.

Reasons for use:
Ensure that sufficient computing resources are available so that workload can meet their service levels. Provide management with an understanding of where computing resources are being used, that is :
Who is using the system,
For what reasons and,
Where is the growth likely to be?

Benefits:
As with any good planning, Price results are not that much critical, but the process and the discipline giving an understanding of the problem.

When conducting a capacity plan, the organization must understand the characteristics of its production systems, their future requirements and their priorities.

More importantly, Capacity planning helps ensure that seasonal operational peaks which are generally critical to the business can met by the resources.

Conclusion:
Key areas for effective performance analysis and capacity planning:
• Increase awareness about your system environment to minimize potential problems.
• Forecast resource consumption and assess hardware requirements to provide business growth.
• Identify congestion that threatens to cause poor system performance by analyzing your key server parameters.