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From: eugene@pioneer.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Benchmarking
Message-ID: <1632@ames.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 26-May-87 18:42:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: ames.1632
Posted: Tue May 26 18:42:59 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 28-May-87 01:04:08 EDT
References: <410@winchester.UUCP> <3490003@wdl1.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@ames.UUCP
Reply-To: eugene@pioneer.UUCP (Eugene Miya N.)
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
Lines: 30

In article <3490003@wdl1.UUCP> bobw@wdl1.UUCP (Robert Lee Wilson Jr.) writes:
>
>I've never been quite sure what that accomplishes. To put it another
>way, what is the benchmark supposed to be measuring: SYSTEM
>performance, or HARDWARE performance.
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>I disclaim almost everything, probably including this line.

Let me ask: HOW DO YOU SEPARATE THEM?  [I think it's possible.]
People talk about CPU and memory performance benchmarks: how do you
separate these?  Can you tell me when something is hardware bound or
software bound?  What does it mean when you say system?  Is the WHOLE
[Another poster's term] of a system equal to the sum of it's parts?
[Take optimizers into account.]  Do we have to say: nope we can't
separate them, there is a Gestalt working here, and we have to assume
the applications and the machine are ATOMIC (indivisible) for to divide
the problem into parts would destroy the character of the problem
(benchmarking the machine).

For those people only concern about running their applications: while
you have valid concerns [i.e., getting the job done], there are a few
people who seek progress.  They seek to understand where their problems
run, and to look to the future to improve their performance rather than
treat their work solely like a black box.  Given these architects,
engineers, and scientists some credit some time for they are the one who
look to the future (to improvements).  Sure computers are a tool, but
you have to hone your tools, thank God for Seymour Cray.

--eugene