JSIMutate: understanding performance results through mutations

Abstract

Understanding the performance characteristics of software systems is particular relevant when looking at design alternatives. However, it is a very challenging problem, due to the complexity of interpreting the role and incidence of the different system elements on performance metrics of interest, such as system response time or resources utilisation. This work introduces JSIMutate, a tool that makes use of queueing network performance models and enables the analysis of mutations of a model reflecting possible design changes to support designers in identifying the model elements that contribute to improving or worsening the system's performance.