Course content

Basics: Dependability, performance and QoS measures; resources and utilization, failure and repair, system models, analytic modelling, discrete and continuous distributions, basics on stochastic processes, Poisson process, discrete-state - continuous-time Markov models and analysis. Simulation: process-oriented simulation, generation of random variables, problem analysis and model design, DEMOS/SIMULA primitives, output analysis. Performance and traffic: Erlang and Engset blocking models, M/M/1 and Erlang queuing models, Jackson networks. Dependability: reliability, availability and system time in simple redundant systems determined by Markov models, block schemes, fault-trees, structure functions, path and cut sets. Measurements: observation strategies, point and interval estimation, design of experiments.

Learning outcome

A. Knowledge:
1) To gain a basic understanding of the importance of non-functional requirements for service and system design.
2) To gain a basic understanding of the principles of dependability and performance evaluation and design of information and communication systems (ICT).
3) To gain a basic understanding of modeling, analysis and measurements for evaluation and dimensioning.
4) To gain a basic understanding of probability theory, statistics, and stochastic processes in modeling ICT system's behavior.
5) To gain a basic understanding of Markov modeling and solution of such models.
6) To gain a basic understanding of process-oriented modeling and simulations.
7) To gain a basic understanding of simulation and measurement methods.

B. Skills:
1) To be able to specify the performance and dependability requirements.
2) To be able to describe the system properties by using a Markov Model.
3) To be able to determine the system properties symbolically and numerically from a Markov model.
4) To be able to describe a simulation model, implementing a simulator and conduct a simulation experiment.
5) To be able to derive system properties from the measurements, analytically and from simulation results.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures and exercises in analytic evaluation techniques and in simulation. Optional selftests.
A selection of exercises must be approved to qualify for the final exam.

Compulsory assignments

• Exercises

Recommended previous knowledge

TMA4240/TMA4245 Statistics or equivalent.

Course materials

Peder J. Emstad, Poul E. Heegaard, Bjarne E. Helvik and Laurent Paquereau, Dependability and performance in information and communication systems. Fundamentals, 276 pages, Inst. for telematikk, 2014.
Graham Birtwisle: DEMOS-A system for Discrete Event Modelling on Simula.

Credit reductions