In a paragraph, define throughput and response time. Explain why ...

[Evvie72]

In a paragraph, define throughput and response time. Explain why each is an important consideration in specifying a Web server hardware configuration.

Question 2

In about 100 words, outline the impacts that large computing installations (such as server farms) can have on the environment.

[Brummell1998]

Answer to Question 1

Elements affecting overall server performance include hardware, operating system software, server software, connection bandwidth, user capacity, and type of Web pages being delivered. The number of users the server can handle is also important. This can be difficult to measure because both the bandwidth of the Internet connection and the sizes of the Web pages delivered can affect that number. Two factors to evaluate when measuring a servers Web page delivery capability are throughput and response time. Throughput is the number of HTTP requests that a particular hardware and software combination can process in a unit of time. Response time is the amount of time a server requires to process one request.

Answer to Question 2

The use of large collections of computers, especially powerful computers such as Web servers, requires significant amounts of electrical power to operate. Although much of this electrical power is used to operate the servers themselves, a substantial portion of it is used to cool the rooms in which the servers reside. Large computers generate tremendous amounts of heat.