Performance Health Check

Abstract

The performance of a complex computer system can be difficult to analyse in a limited time-scale, since it often consists of many separate sub-systems, each of which may be a computer system in its own right. The high-level performance health check approach to the analysis can be useful in highlighting important performance risks and issues, yet produce a report relatively quickly. History has shown that major performance problems, or even complete project failure, could have been avoided if performance risks had been identified early and managed effectively. Firstly, the analyst needs to understand the volumes and characteristics of the work the system is required to process, as well as how long the system has been given to process the different types of work. Then the capability of each of the component sub-systems is assessed, as is the complete end-to-end system. This assessment and the risks and issues identified during the analysis are gathered together in a performance health check report to indicate the health of the system's performance, and to show how potential problems can be proactively addressed. The health check applies not only to the behaviour of the system, but also to the way that performance is addressed and managed by the project concerned, during both delivery and operation.