Measuring software systems scalability for proactive data center management

The current trend of increasingly larger Web-based applications makes scalability the key challenge when developing, deploying, and maintaining data centers. At the same time, the migration to the cloud computing paradigm means that each data center hosts an increasingly complex mix of applications, from multiple owners and in constant evolution. Unfortunately, managing such data centers in a cost-effective manner requires that the scalability properties of the hosted workloads to be accurately known, namely, to proactively provision adequate resources and to plan the most economical placement of applications. Obviously, stopping each of them and running a custom benchmark to asses its scalability properties is not an option. In this paper we address this challenge with a tool to measure the software scalability regarding CPU availability, towards being able to predict its behavior in face of varying resources and an increasing workload. This tool does not depend on a particular application and relies only on Linux's SystemTap probing infrastructure. We validate the approach first using simulation and then in an actual system. The resulting better prediction of scalability properties should allow improved (self-) management practices.Partially funded by PT Inovação S.A

UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE LOGISTICS: UTILIZING NETWORKED NON-STANDARD APPROACHES AND DECEPTION

Throughout history, many military campaigns, conventional or irregular, have failed when they were not well supported logistically. “ARSOF 2022,” written by Charles Cleveland and appearing in the spring 2013 issue of Special Warfare, states that United States Army Special Operations Forces will be the lead component to conduct unconventional warfare (UW) in the future. However, a 2013 RAND Arroyo Center study, Non-Standard Logistics Support for Unconventional Warfare: Sourcebook for Planning and Capability Development, written by Matthew E Boyer et al. on “non-standard logistics” identified significant gaps in existing doctrine, authorities, training, and other areas that support such operations. While providing recommendations, RAND did not provide specific solutions to the shortcomings. This thesis proposes a general model to conduct UW resupply, and operationalizes this model in the form of a UW logistics planning and execution cycle. The six-step cycle (RANDOM), begins with receipt of mission (R). Next, a multi-categorical UW logistics feasibility assessment (A) occurs. Following this assessment, a non-standard (N) resupply approach is chosen, and a supporting military deception plan (D) is incorporated into the approach. The resupply operation (O) is then executed, and feedback from various sources allows modifications (M) and improvements to the cycle for future resupply operations. This thesis concludes with recommendations for leaders and planners alike and offers a solution to the current lack of existing doctrine surrounding this topic.Major, United States ArmyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Critique to pro-cyclical admission in maritime higher education.

The paper represents a critical analysis of the options ahead of maritime universities in terms of number of students admitted, particularly in periods of industry downturns. The study refers to the global maritime industry and analyses the patterns of the industry cycle. These patterns are characterised in macroeconomic terms by peaks, troughs and secular long term trends. The current maritime industry faces chronic global trade imbalances in the context of slow global economic. The secular trend has flattened and the industry is clearly in the downturn. These patterns envisage both cyclical and structural unemployment components. This paper addresses the maritime universities' options associated with cyclical unemployment of maritime graduates. These options include pro-cyclical, counter- cyclical or level capacity approaches in the students' admission capacity planning, depicted by the duration of studies and the offset between admission and graduation. The analysis overlays the graduate studies and industry cycles and proposes to evaluate the different scenarios based on industry outlook and to determine the optimum admission policy solution

Eating Spinach: Future implications of contemporary methods for citizen participation in design

This paper has drawn on influential thinkers in participatory practice to understand why mandated participation is not achieving the goal of sharing power with citizens to influence their built environment. When practiced, mandatory participatory methods fall subject to institutional guidelines, appearing as a one-size-fits-all approach responding to accountability rather than actual citizen needs/voice. This investigation sees professionalism as a force limiting meaningful participation, as sharing power with citizens uncredentialed in the fields of planning, architecture, and design is seen by some as undermining professional credibility. The paper analyzes three contemporary methods of participation – consultation, tactical urbanism, and participatory design – for their ability to elicit shared ownership and high future value. Transparency emerges as a key leverage point, and a standardized transparency tool to enable consumer choice about engagement in participation is recommended in order to move towards a sustainable culture of participation defined by high citizen involvement and ownership

JetBench: An Open Source Real-time Multiprocessor Benchmark

Performance comparison among various architectures is generally attained by using standard benchmark tools. This paper presents JetBench, an Open Source OpenMP based multicore benchmark application that could be used to analyse real time performance of a specific target platform. The application is designed to be platform independent by avoiding target specific libraries and hardware counters and timers. JetBench uses jet engine parameters and thermodynamic equations presented in the NASA’s EngineSim program, and emulates a real-time jet engine performance calculator. The user is allowed to determine a flight profile with timing constraints, and adjust the number of threads. This paper discusses the structure of the application, thread distribution and its scalability on a custom symmetric multicore platform based on a cycle accurate full system simulator