Sun Performance and Tuning: Java™ and the Internet, Second Edition

Overall Sizing Estimates

Two basic questions first must be answered to narrow the range for each situation to a manageable number of options.

What are users’ work patterns?

• Random or intermittent activity like office work is a light load.

• Continuous or synchronized activity generates the highest load. Shift work, tele-sales or student classrooms are examples.

What applications run server-side code?

• Booting, static web pages, and simple applets are a very light server load but generate the largest network loadings.

• Server-side gateways like an SNA gateway for 3270 terminals are light. A single server process supports many users, and RAM requirements are reasonably small.

• Applications using server-side code, e.g., Applix Anyware, need little CPU, ...