Week #1 (January 10th) -- Predicting the future
- Topics: Overview of performance evaluation and modeling. Modeling for
system design, capacity planning, and research. Description of performance
measures.
- Reading: Class handout for week #1 reading
- Events: None
Week #2 (January 17th) -- Things that vary - laws of probability
- Topics: Basic laws of probability. Random variables and distributions.
Computing mean and variance of distributions. Properties of uniform, binomial,
Poisson, and exponential distributions.
- Reading: Class handout for weeks #2 and #3 reading
- Events: Monday is a holiday (here is one
my favorite MLK quotes).
Week #3 (January 24th) -- Things that vary (continued)
- Topics: Measuring and characterizing trace data (mean, variance,
histogram, and autocorrelation). Generating workload with theoretical
distributions, empirical distributions, and using a trace.
- Reading: Class handout for weeks #2 and #3 reading
- Events: HW #1 due on Monday in class
Week #4 (January 31st) -- Why we wait - queueing theory
- Topics: Basic concepts of queueing. Fundamental behavior and
measures of queueing systems. M/M/1 and Erlang formulas.
- Reading: Chapter 1 in MacDougall
- Events: None
Week #5 (February 7th) -- Modeling systems with software
- Topics: Monte Carlo simulation. Components and flowchart of a discrete
event simulation model. The event list.
- Reading: Class handout for weeks #5 and #6 reading
- Events: HW #2 due on Monday in class
Week #6 (February 14th) -- Modeling systems with software (continued)
- Topics: A C language model of a single-server queue. Instrumenting models.
Review for exam #1.
- Reading: Class handout for weeks #5 and #6 reading
- Events: Exam #1 on Wednesday
Week #7 (February 21st) -- SMPL simulation language
- Topics: Description of SMPL language. SMPL model of single server queue.
- Reading: Chapter 2 in MacDougall
- Events: HW #3 due on Monday in class
Week #8 (February 28th) -- SMPL simulation language (continued)
- Topics: More advanced models with SMPL.
- Reading: None
- Events: None
Week #9 (March 7th) -- CSIM simulation language
- Topics: Description of process oriented simulation. CSIM as an evolution
of SMPL. Process, facilities, and events. Model of a single server queue.
- Reading: Getting Started: CSIM 19 Simulation Engine (C Version) from
Mesquite Software (available here).
- Events: HW #4 due on Monday in class
Week #10 (March 14th) -- SPRING BREAK
- Topics: None (no class this week)
- Reading: None
- Events: None
Week #11 (March 21st) -- CSIM simulation language (continued)
- Topics: Advanced CSIM (including storage, mailboxes, tables, and
other capabilities).
- Reading: CSIM19: A Powerful Tool for Building System Models by Herb
Schwetman (available here).
- Events: None
Week #12 (March 28th) -- CSIM simulation language (continued)
- Topics: Wrap-up of CSIM. Review for exam #2.
- Reading: None
- Events: HW #5 due on Monday in class and Exam #2 on
Wednesday in class
Week #13 (April 4th) -- Have confidence - output analysis
- Topics: Confidence intervals. Comparing two designs. Using confidence
intervals for stopping a simulation. CSIM run length control.
- Reading: Chapter 4 in MacDougall
- Events: None
Week #14 (April 11th) -- The big picture - project development
- Topics: Description of the modeling and analysis process from a project
perspective. How to define experiments and present results.
- Reading: Chapter 3 in MacDougall
- Events: HW #6 due on Monday in class
Week #15 (April 18th) -- Case Study #1 - Modeling a call center
- Topics: A CSIM simulation model of a call center.
- Reading: CSIM17: A Simulation Model Building Toolkit by Herb
Schwetman (available here).
- Events: None
Week #16 (April 25th) -- Case Study #2 - Modeling a packet switch
- Topics: A CSIM simulation model of a packet switch. Review for final exam.
- Reading: None
- Events: HW #7 due on Monday in class
The Final Exam will be on Wednesday, May 4th from 10:30am to 12:30pm
in PHY 13.
