The first third of the book introduces probability theory, ending with a discussion of Markov chains and renewal theory. The second third of the book discussed queueing theory and applications to computer systems. Unlike the first edition, there is now a substantial section on queueing networks, ending with a discussion of BCMP networks, and exact and approximate algorithms for solving certain networks. The third portion of the book discusses statistical inference - confidence intervals and hypothesis testing. There is a new section on exploratory data analysis, and a new chapter on regression and correlation analysis. Throughout the book, the new edition demonstrates the use of software packages to perform the necessary calculations. A number of APL and Mathematica programs are given in the Appendices, and the text also discusses the use of commercial statistics and queueing theory packages. Thomas Robertazzi, Springer-Verlag, 1990. 306 pp. $49.5O. Unlike the other, more specialized, books given brief reviews in this issue, this book would be an appropriate text for an introductory graduate course in performance evaluation. The book presumes a knowledge of probability theory, which is reviewed in an appendix. There is a chapter on single queueing systems, which covers the M / M / 1 queueing system in detail, and a number of related models. In particular, the author has a section on reversibility and one on the M / G / 1 queue. Two chapters discuss networks of queues. The first of these introduces the queueing models and the concept of product form. The second discusses methods for numerical solution of queueing network models. The final chapter is on stochastic Petri nets. These chapters discuss a number of topics not usually found in a book at this level. One section presents a description of and explanation for product form, based on ideas from algebraic topology. Even though the ideas are from algebraic topology, the discussion is easy to follow and will help the student understand why product form solutions work. Another unusual feature is the discussion of the PANACEA approach for approximate solutions to large Markovian queueing networks. Finally, the book has a number of extensive case studies, which apply the mathematical techniques discussed in the text to realistic computer system performance problems. Queueing Networks-Exact Computational Algorithms: A U n i f i e d T h e o r y Based on Decomposition and Aggregation, Adrian E. Conway and Nicholas D. Georganas, MIT Press, 1989. 234 pp. $30.00. This book presents a thorough discussion of exact algorithms for product-form queueing networks. The authors discuss the well-known Convolution Algorithm, and Mean Value Analysis (MVA), as well as some more recent algorithms: Recursion by Chain (RECAL), Mean Value Analysis by Chain (MVAC), and the Distribution Analysis by Chain (DAC). The authors' principal thesis is that all these algorithms may be seen as examples of a general decomposition and aggregation method. They describe this general method, and discuss how different choices made in the course of the decomposition affect the efficiency of the resulting algorithm. They then show how each of these algorithms may be derived in this manner. The book ends with a concise statement of each of the algorithms discussed. N e t w o r k s K~ S y s t e m s : Queueing Theory and Performance E v a l u a t i o n , Computer Performance Instrumentation $z V i s u alization, Margaret Simmons and Rebecca Koskela, Addison-Wesley & ACM Press, 1989. 289 pp. $44.25. This book is the proceedings of the Workshop on Parallel Computer Systems: Performance Instrumentation and Visualization held in Santa Fe, New Mexico in May, 1989. Some of the sixteen papers included here discuss research projects designed primarily to collect performance data from distributed and parallel systems. Other papers discuss modern visualization techniques in general, or report on projects to put these powerful techniques to work on paral- Performance Evaluation Review Vol. 19 #2, August 1991

/lp/association-for-computing-machinery/brief-review-queueing-networks-exact-computational-algorithms-a-R8Op5SJdlp