What might be causing the slow response time? Prepare a brief memo explaining system performance and workload measurement, using nontechnical language that Personal Trainer users can understand easily.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary. Students should mention that slow response time could have something to do with server performance, network capacity, or a combination of the two. They might suggest using benchmarking programs and diagnostic utilities to learn more about the issue. Other items to check include file structures, system configuration settings, and user performance.
The memo explaining system performance and workload measurement should discuss the topics in simple, nontechnical terms. System performance directly affects users who rely on it to perform their job functions. System performance is determined by the integration of all system components. Workload measurement includes tasks that the system must perform, such as the number of lines printed, the number of records accessed, and the number of transactions processed in a given time period. To measure performance of network-based systems, an analyst also needs to consider response time, bandwidth, throughput, and turnaround time.
• Response time is the overall time between a request for system activity (such as a user clicking a button) and the delivery of the on-screen response.
• Bandwidth describes the amount of data that the system can handle in a fixed time period and is expressed in bits per second.
• Throughput is the actual amount of data that the system can handle under specific loads (just like a highway system) and is affected by network loads and hardware efficiency. Throughput, like bandwidth, is expressed as a data transfer rate.
• Turnaround time applies to centralized batch processing operations and measures the time between submitting a request for information and the fulfillment of the request.