Summary

List of general metrics estimates for Computer-related services.

• Comparisons of various options are in the Requirements > Systems section
  • Compare server instance type options
  • Compare server instance vs. serverless vs. container options.

Assessment

• CPU performance (measured in vCPUs or cores)
  • Cores
  • Clock speed
  • Concurrency
  • Throughput
• Memory (measured in GB)
  • RAM
  • Cache
• Storage (measured in GB or TB)
  • I/O used with compute
• Network performance (measured in Mbps)
  • Ethernet adapter, VPC and connections
• Optimized instances available
  • Providers like AWS have preconfigured optimized for many applications.
  • Machine images (ie. AMIs) with Compute/instance optimized for your needs.
• Cost (see Cost Estimates document, in the main Estimates category)

CPU

• Utilization:
  • Calculate the average CPU utilization over a predefined time period using the formula Average CPU Utilization = (CPU Time/Elapsed Time) * 100.
• Throughput:
  • Estimate the number of instructions per second (IPS) needed to execute a workload using the formula Throughput = (Number of Instructions/Elapsed Time) * 1000000000.
• CPU Cores:
  • The number of CPU cores required for an application can be estimated using the formula (number of concurrent users * average CPU usage per user) / (100 - acceptable CPU usage).
• Concurrent Tasks:
  • The number of tasks that are currently being executed simultaneously.
• Clock Speed:
  • Estimate the clock speed needed to execute a workload using the formula Clock Speed = (Instructions Executed/Elapsed Time) * Frequency.
• Cache Size:
  • Estimate the amount of cache memory needed for a workload using the formula Cache Size = (Total Data Size/Cache Line Size) + Overhead.
• Power Consumption:
  • Estimate the amount of power needed to execute a workload using the formula Power Consumption = (Number of Instructions/Elapsed Time) * Voltage.
• Instruction Mix:
  • Estimate the mix of instructions that are used to execute a workload using the formula Instruction Mix = (Number of Instructions/Total Number of Instructions) * 100.
• Context Switches:
  • Estimate the number of context switches needed to execute a workload using the formula Context Switches = (Number of Context Switches/Elapsed Time) * 1000000000.

Memory:

• Utilization:
  • Calculate the average memory utilization over a predefined time period using the formula Average Memory Utilization = (Total Memory Used/Total Memory) * 100.
• Bandwidth:
  • Estimate the amount of memory bandwidth needed to execute a workload using the formula Bandwidth = (Memory Accesses/Elapsed Time) * 1000000000.

Storage:

• Capacity:
  • Estimate the amount of storage needed for a workload using the formula Storage Capacity = (Total Data Size/Data Compression Ratio) + Overhead.
• I/O:
  • Estimate the number of I/O operations per second (IOPS) needed to execute a workload using the formula I/O = (Number of I/O requests/Elapsed Time) * 1000000000.

Network:

• Throughput:
  • Estimate the amount of throughput (in Mbps) needed to execute a workload using the formula Throughput = (Total Data Size/Elapsed Time) * 8.
• Latency:
  • Estimate the amount of latency (in ms) needed to execute a workload using the formula Latency = (Time to Execute Request - Time Received)/Number of Requests.

Security:

• Access Control:
  • Estimate the number of users who need access to a system using the formula User Access = (Total Number of Users/Total Number of Accounts) * 100.
• Authentication:
  • Estimate the number of authentication requests needed to execute a workload using the formula Authentication = (Number of Authentication Requests/Elapsed Time) * 1000000000.