What This Document Is
This document serves as an overview and introduction to Software Performance Engineering (CS 736) at West Virginia University. It lays the foundational groundwork for understanding the principles and practices involved in building high-performing software systems. It’s designed to establish a common understanding of what constitutes “performance” in a software context and why proactively addressing performance concerns is crucial throughout the software development lifecycle. The material introduces the core concepts that will be explored in greater depth throughout the course.
Why This Document Matters
This is essential reading for students enrolled in CS 736, providing a crucial starting point for the entire course. It’s also beneficial for software engineers, architects, and technical leaders who are responsible for the quality and efficiency of software applications. Anyone facing challenges with application responsiveness, scalability, or overall system performance will find the introductory concepts presented here valuable. Reviewing this material *before* diving into more complex topics will significantly enhance comprehension and retention.
Common Limitations or Challenges
This document provides a high-level introduction and does *not* delve into specific techniques, tools, or detailed methodologies for performance analysis and optimization. It won’t offer step-by-step instructions for performance testing or provide solutions to common performance bottlenecks. It also doesn’t cover specific application domains or project implementations – those are addressed in later course materials. This is a conceptual overview, not a practical guide.
What This Document Provides
* A definition of software performance and its key metrics (timeliness).
* An exploration of the concepts of responsiveness and scalability.
* An overview of the potential consequences of performance failures.
* Identification of common causes of performance issues in software development.
* Discussion of strategies for proactive performance management and achieving performance success.
* An introduction to different modeling strategies used in Software Performance Engineering.
