Related characteristics
time behaviour
resource behaviour
Resource Behaviour
Description
Attributes of software that bear on the amount of resources used and the duration of such use in performing its function.
Indicators
1. communication occupancy
Total number of characters to be transported via a certain interface with a predicted number of transactions per period of time.
Source: QUINT
Scale: ratio
Validity: **
Protocol:
1. Determine the relevant communication interfaces and types of transactions for which the communication occupancy should be measured;
2. Count the number of transported characters per communication interface and per type of transaction;
3. Estimate the number of transactions that have to be processed during a given period of time;
4. Calculate the total number of transported characters during this period of time.
or: Protocol:
1. Determine the relevant communication means and types of transactions for which communication occupancy should be measured;
2. Count the number of transported characters per communication means and per type of transaction;
3. Estimate the number of transactions that have to be processed during a given period of time;
4. Calculate the total number of transported characters during this period of time.
Note: This indicator is valid when the communication interface is a private interface. In case of a more public interface, it is more appropriate to choose something other than "total number of characters". A good alternative would be to adapt the indicator to correspond with the rating structure of the public communication means.
When the number of transported characters per type is not constant, the number should be averaged.
2. internal memory occupancy
Amount of internal memory needed to process a certain amount of data.
Source: QUINT
Scale: ratio
Validity: **
Protocol:
1. Determine the different states in which the software product should be tested;
2. Determine the different amounts of data (in user terms) for testing;
3. Test the software product in different states with the different amounts of data;
4. Measure the maximum amount of internal memory used per quantity of data.
Note: Most operating systems offer functionality for restricting the amount of memory available or measuring the maximum amount of memory used after execution of a program.
In the above, "user terms" denotes, for example, the number of customers in a database, the number of activities in a planning tool, etc.
3. external memory occupancy
Volume of external memory needed to process a certain amount of data.
Source: QUINT
Scale: ratio
Validity: **
Protocol:
1. Determine the different quantities of data (in user terms) for testing;
2. Determine the extent of external memory used for each type and quantity of data.
Note: In general, external memory occupancy will increase linearly with the number of data items.
4. processor occupancy
Amount of processing time used.
Source: QUINT
Scale: ratio
Validity: **
Protocol:
1. Determine the different types of input data sets for which processor occupancy should be measured;
2. Measure processor occupancy with the different types of input data sets.
Note: In general, a compromise must be made between the different types of occupancy in order to achieve the "best" resource behaviour.
5. real memory occupancy
Indicates the ability of the system by measuring the size of real memory for the program.
Source: ISO
6. virtual memory occupancy
Indicates the ability of the system by measuring the size of virtual memory for the program.
Source: ISO
7. workingset size
Indicates the ability of the system by measuring the workingset size of the program.
Source: ISO
8. file occupancy
Amount of files used by the program.
Source: ISO
9. network occupancy
Amount of data sent and received.
Source: ISO
10. CPU utilisation
Ratio of main CPU utilisation in appropriate unit of time.
Source: ISO
11. main memory utilisation
Ratio of main memory utilisation in appropriate unit of time.
Source: ISO
12. I/O channel utilisation
Ratio of use of I/O channel time utilised in appropriate unit of time.
Source: ISO
13. file utilisation
Ratio of file utilisation in appropriate unit of time.
Source: ISO
14. network utilisation
Ratio of network utilisation in appropriate unit of time.
Source: ISO
15. I/O device utilisation
Ratio of I/O device utilisation in appropriate unit of time.
Source: ISO
16. terminal utilisation
Ratio of terminal utilisation in appropriate unit of time.
Source: ISO