The Design and Use of a General Purpose Real Time System
G. Cassir, A G Abrahart · ITNOW · 1968
This paper is concerned with the design and use of a general purpose simulator for a real time computer system. The design of a system capable of handling a high volume of transactions with the constraint of low response times involves considerable systems study, data collection and analysis of a much higher degree than that required for a large conventional batch installation. The designer is faced with an optimisation problem, trying to balance cost versus good system utilisation, reliability and response time criteria [1]. The design of the overall system (Figure 1) may be considered as three separate yet interacting designs In designing the central system and files the basic tools are probability theory and queueing theory [2]. These theories are powerful in the case of one or two stage server systems but may become complex when considering multi-stage systems which occur in the analysis of the re-entrant activity in a real time computer system. Furthermore, in the course of design it is often necessary to study the system with different lines, input loads, arrangements of system facilities and data handling methods.