Estimating Optimal Checkpoint Intervals Using GPSS Simulation

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In this project we illustrate how queueing simulation may be used to find the optimal interval for checkpointing problems and compare results with theoretical computations for simple systems that may be treated analytically.We consider a relatively simple model for an internet banking facility. From time to time, the application server breaks down. The information at the time of the breakdown has to be passed onto the back up server before service may be resumed. To make the change over as efficient as possible, information of the state of user’s accounts is saved at regular intervals. This is known as checkpointing.Firstly, we use GPSS (a queueing simulation tool) to find, by simulation, an optimal checkpointing interval, which maximises the efficiency of the server. Two measures of efficiency are considered; the availability of the server and the average time a customer spends in the system. Secondly, we investigate how far the queueing theory can go to providing an analytic solution to the problem and see whether or not this is in line with the results obtained through simulation.The analysis shows that checkpointing is not necessary if breakdowns occur frequently and log reading after failure does not take much time. Otherwise, checkpointing is necessary and the analysis shows how GPSS may be used to obtain the optimal checkpointing interval. Relatively complicated systems may be simulated, where there are no ...