Performance Evaluation in Computer Architecture: Master System Performance Analysis

Question 1

Which performance metric specifically measures the time taken by the system to process and respond to user requests?

Accepted Answer

Response Time

Answer

Throughput

Answer

Utilization

Answer

Efficiency

Question 2

Which measurement technique involves running a representative workload on the system and measuring its performance characteristics?

Accepted Answer

Benchmarking

Answer

Simulation

Answer

Analytical modeling

Question 3

Which software design practice can adversely affect system performance?

Accepted Answer

Excessive recursion

Answer

Optimized data structure usage

Answer

Efficient algorithms

Answer

Effective memory management

Question 4

Which of the following is not a typical performance metric used to evaluate computer systems?

Accepted Answer

Compiler Optimization

Answer

Throughput

Answer

Response time

Answer

Utilization

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a performance metric commonly used in computer architecture?

Accepted Answer

Mean time between failures (MTBF)

Answer

Instructions per cycle (IPC)

Answer

Cache miss rate

Answer

Branch prediction accuracy

Question 6

To design a system that meets specific performance requirements, which factors are crucial to consider?

Accepted Answer

System architecture, workload characteristics, and system design

Answer

Only the hardware components used in the system

Answer

Only the software that will run on the system

Answer

Only the budget available for the system

Question 7

To troubleshoot performance issues in a web application, what steps should you take to identify the root cause and develop a mitigation plan?

Accepted Answer

Gather performance data (response times, resource utilization, error logs) to pinpoint bottlenecks.

Accepted Answer

Analyze code and architecture for potential issues (inefficient algorithms, improper data structures).

Accepted Answer

Conduct load testing to assess performance under high user traffic and identify scalability concerns.

Answer

Implement changes without thorough analysis and impact verification (incorrect).

Question 8

Which performance evaluation technique involves simulating the behavior of a system without actually building it?

Accepted Answer

Modeling

Answer

Benchmarking

Answer

Profiling

Answer

Instrumentation

Question 9

What is the primary goal of optimizing a system's design?

Accepted Answer

Enhance overall efficiency

Answer

Minimize execution time

Answer

Maximize throughput

Answer

Reduce latency

Question 10

Which metric is commonly used to assess the overall performance of a computer system?

Accepted Answer

MIPS (Millions of Instructions Per Second)

Answer

IPC (Instructions Per Clock)

Answer

FLOPS (Floating-Point Operations Per Second)

Answer

Bandwidth (MB/s)

Question 11

Which measurement technique involves running a benchmark program on the system and measuring its execution time?

Accepted Answer

Empirical Measurement

Answer

Analytical Modeling

Answer

Simulation

Answer

Hardware Monitoring

Question 12

What is the objective of a performance bottleneck analysis?

Accepted Answer

To pinpoint the component or operation impeding overall system performance.

Answer

To enhance the system's memory capacity.

Answer

To reduce the system's energy consumption.

Answer

To improve the system's reliability

Question 13

Which optimization technique involves modifying code or data to enhance cache efficiency?

Accepted Answer

Data Alignment

Answer

Loop Unrolling

Answer

Instruction Scheduling

Answer

Branch Prediction

Question 14

What is the role of a profiler in performance evaluation?

Accepted Answer

To identify the functions or code segments consuming the most time.

Answer

To monitor hardware resources such as CPU and memory usage.

Answer

To generate a performance report for the system.

Answer

To optimize the system's operating system settings.

Question 15

Which of the following is not a factor that can influence the performance of a computer system?

Accepted Answer

User interface design

Answer

Processor speed

Answer

Memory size

Answer

Storage device performance

Question 16

What is the distinction between latency and throughput?

Accepted Answer

Latency measures the time required to complete a task, while throughput measures the number of tasks completed in a specified time frame.

Answer

Latency measures the time needed to access data, while throughput measures the volume of data accessed in a given time frame.

Answer

Latency and throughput are interchangeable terms.

Answer

Latency measures processor speed, while throughput measures memory speed.

Question 17

Which type of performance anomaly exhibits sudden changes or spikes in performance?

Accepted Answer

Intermittent

Answer

Systematic

Answer

Random

Answer

External

Question 18

What is the ultimate goal of performance tuning?

Accepted Answer

To improve the effectiveness and speed of a computer system.

Answer

To reduce the cost of the system.

Answer

To enhance the reliability of the system.

Answer

To make the system more user-friendly.

Question 19

How does an increase in clock frequency generally impact system performance?

Accepted Answer

Increases execution speed

Answer

Reduces execution speed

Answer

No significant impact

Answer

Depends on the specific system

Question 20

Identify the primary challenges encountered when evaluating the performance of distributed systems.

Accepted Answer

Concurrency

Accepted Answer

Scalability

Accepted Answer

Resource Contention

Answer

Determinism

Question 21

Why is performance testing crucial for evaluating the scalability and reliability of a distributed system under varying conditions?

Accepted Answer

Performance testing validates scalability and reliability by ensuring the system meets performance goals under varying conditions.

Answer

Performance testing only identifies performance bottlenecks.

Answer

Performance testing is only necessary for large-scale distributed systems.

Answer

Performance testing eliminates the need for capacity planning.

Question 22

How can performance metrics be leveraged to identify and address potential security threats in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

Performance metrics can be used to establish baselines and detect anomalies that may indicate security breaches.

Answer

Security threats can be prevented by optimizing system performance.

Answer

Performance evaluation is not related to system security.

Answer

Performance metrics are only useful for measuring system efficiency, not for detecting security issues.

Question 23

In performance evaluation of real-time systems, what is the most critical factor?

Accepted Answer

Deadline Compliance

Answer

Resource Utilization

Answer

Code Complexity

Answer

Throughput

Question 24

In performance evaluation, which ethical principle prioritizes unbiased and just assessments?

Accepted Answer

Objectivity

Answer

Confidentiality

Answer

Efficiency

Answer

Cost-effectiveness

Question 25

In performance evaluation, why is energy efficiency crucial? Explain how energy consumption can be measured and optimized in computer systems.

Accepted Answer

Power meters and software tools can accurately measure energy consumption.

Accepted Answer

Reducing clock speed and voltage are key techniques for optimizing energy consumption.

Answer

Energy efficiency is not relevant to performance evaluation.

Answer

Energy consumption optimization always leads to performance degradation.

Question 26

In performance evaluation, how does code profiling help identify performance bottlenecks?

Accepted Answer

Pinpoints code sections with high execution time

Answer

Provides a general view of system performance

Answer

Measures memory usage of code sections

Answer

Generates reports on code coverage and test results

Question 27

For evaluating a complex computer system with many interconnected parts, which performance modeling approach is best suited?

Accepted Answer

Simulation modeling

Answer

Analytical modeling

Answer

Queuing theory

Answer

Benchmarking

Question 28

Which of the following is NOT a commonly used performance metric for computer systems?

Accepted Answer

Power efficiency

Answer

Throughput

Answer

Response time

Answer

Availability

Question 29

Which measurement technique involves observing the actual behavior of a system in real-time conditions?

Accepted Answer

Monitoring

Answer

Simulation

Answer

Benchmarking

Answer

Profiling

Question 30

What is the primary purpose of a benchmark suite?

Accepted Answer

To compare the performance of different systems

Answer

To identify bottlenecks in a system

Answer

To optimize system configurations

Answer

To monitor system performance over time

Question 31

How do statistical methods help us analyze performance data in computer systems?

Accepted Answer

They provide a structured and objective way to analyze data.

Accepted Answer

They help us identify trends and patterns in performance data.

Accepted Answer

They allow us to compare different systems or configurations.

Answer

They are too complex to be useful in performance evaluation.

Question 32

Which aspect is NOT considered when evaluating computer architecture performance?

Accepted Answer

User experience

Answer

Metrics

Answer

Measurement

Answer

Analysis

Question 33

What is the primary goal of performance optimization in computer architecture?

Accepted Answer

Enhancing system speed and efficiency

Answer

Reducing system cost

Answer

Sacrificing system reliability

Answer

Increasing system complexity

Question 34

Which metric measures the time taken for a program to complete its execution?

Accepted Answer

Response time

Answer

Throughput

Answer

Latency

Answer

CPU utilization

Question 35

Which technique involves simulating a system's behavior under controlled conditions to assess its performance?

Accepted Answer

Simulation

Answer

Benchmarking

Answer

Profiling

Answer

Monitoring

Question 36

Which analysis method is used to pinpoint performance bottlenecks and inefficiencies within a system?

Accepted Answer

Root cause analysis

Answer

Trend analysis

Answer

Statistical analysis

Answer

Heuristic analysis

Question 37

What is the primary reason for incorporating a cache memory into a computer system?

Accepted Answer

Reducing memory access time

Answer

Expanding memory capacity

Answer

Improving memory reliability

Answer

Lowering memory cost

Question 38

What is the key advantage of using a multi-core processor over a single-core processor?

Accepted Answer

Increased potential for parallelism

Answer

Reduced power consumption

Answer

Lower overall cost

Answer

Improved memory efficiency

Question 39

What is the significance of Amdahl's Law in performance evaluation?

Accepted Answer

It estimates the maximum speedup achievable by parallelizing a program

Answer

It identifies the critical path in a system

Answer

It provides a formula for calculating system throughput

Answer

It explains the impact of memory hierarchy on performance

Question 40

Explain the fundamental difference between time complexity and space complexity in computer science.

Accepted Answer

Time complexity measures the running time of an algorithm or program, while space complexity measures the memory usage.

Answer

Time complexity measures the memory usage of an algorithm or program, while space complexity measures the running time.

Answer

Both time complexity and space complexity measure the running time of an algorithm or program.

Answer

Both time complexity and space complexity measure the memory usage of an algorithm or program.

Question 41

What is the primary goal of capacity planning in the context of computer systems?

Accepted Answer

To ensure that a system has sufficient resources to meet its current and projected workload demands

Answer

To identify and eliminate performance bottlenecks

Answer

To optimize system design and resource allocation

Answer

To predict the performance of a system under specific conditions

Question 42

What is the distinction between workload characterization and workload modeling in computer architecture?

Accepted Answer

Workload characterization describes the observed behavior of a workload, while workload modeling attempts to predict its future behavior.

Answer

Workload modeling describes the observed behavior of a workload, while workload characterization attempts to predict its future behavior.

Answer

These terms are synonymous and refer to the same concept.

Answer

Workload characterization is a subset of workload modeling, providing more detailed information about a workload's behavior.

Question 43

What is the fundamental objective of performance tuning in computer architecture?

Accepted Answer

To optimize system performance by identifying and addressing performance bottlenecks

Answer

To minimize system costs by reducing resource consumption and energy usage

Answer

To enhance system reliability and prevent performance degradation over time

Answer

To improve user experience by ensuring smooth and responsive system operation

Question 44

How can performance evaluation techniques aid in the early detection and mitigation of security vulnerabilities in computer systems?

Accepted Answer

Performance metrics can detect unusual system behavior, potentially indicating security breaches.

Answer

Performance measurement can directly identify malicious code or malware.

Answer

Performance evaluation techniques are not applicable to security vulnerability detection.

Answer

Security vulnerabilities can only be detected through penetration testing.

Question 45

What is the primary objective of performance evaluation in computer architecture?

Accepted Answer

To identify performance bottlenecks and optimize system design

Answer

To compare different systems and predict future performance

Answer

To measure system performance and analyze its behavior

Answer

To ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations

Question 46

What type of performance analysis involves identifying the parts of a program that are executed most frequently?

Accepted Answer

Profiling

Answer

Statistical analysis

Answer

Simulation modeling

Answer

Regression analysis

Question 47

Which of the following performance improvement techniques can reduce the number of instructions executed?

Accepted Answer

Loop unrolling

Answer

Cache optimization

Answer

Branch prediction

Answer

Multithreading

Question 48

How do emerging technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) transform performance evaluation and optimization?

Accepted Answer

They automate performance analysis and optimization, reducing manual intervention.

Answer

They eliminate the need for performance testing and data analysis.

Answer

They are only applicable to cloud-based systems and applications.

Answer

They are still in early development and not practical for real-world performance evaluation.

Question 49

What is performance modeling? Describe its importance in performance evaluation. Explain the different types of performance models and discuss their construction and applications.

Accepted Answer

Performance modeling involves creating mathematical models to predict and analyze system behavior, enabling informed decision-making in performance evaluation.

Answer

Performance modeling is only used to evaluate existing systems.

Answer

Performance models are exact replicas of the real systems being evaluated.

Question 50

Which of the following is NOT a commonly used metric for evaluating computer system performance?

Accepted Answer

Bus width

Answer

Throughput

Answer

Response time

Answer

Reliability

Question 51

What is the central idea behind Amdahl's Law?

Accepted Answer

The speedup of a system is limited by the fraction of time spent on the slowest component.

Answer

The total cost of a system is the sum of the costs of its individual components.

Answer

The performance of a system is inversely proportional to the number of instructions executed.

Answer

The capacity of a system is equal to the number of bits it can store.

Question 52

In a distributed system, which technique is most effective for pinpointing performance bottlenecks?

Accepted Answer

Distributed tracing

Answer

Profiling

Answer

Benchmarking

Question 53

Which of the following is a widely used performance metric for computer systems?

Accepted Answer

MIPS (Millions of Instructions Per Second)

Answer

FPS (Frames Per Second)

Answer

MHz (Megahertz)

Answer

GB (Gigabytes)

Question 54

What is the main purpose of performance profiling in computer systems?

Accepted Answer

To pinpoint areas of the system where performance bottlenecks or inefficiencies occur

Answer

To isolate and debug memory leaks

Answer

To fine-tune compiler settings

Answer

To compare the system's performance to that of other systems

Question 55

Which of the following factors is critical in optimizing system performance?

Accepted Answer

Data locality

Answer

Processor speed

Answer

User experience

Answer

Network latency

Question 56

What is the primary objective of using synthetic benchmarks in performance evaluation?

Accepted Answer

To provide repeatable and controlled performance measurements that are independent of workload variations.

Answer

To detect probable performance bottlenecks

Answer

To replicate real-world user scenarios

Question 57

Which of the following is a potential drawback of using performance tools?

Accepted Answer

Performance measurement tools can introduce overhead and interfere with the normal operation of the system being measured.

Answer

Performance tools may not be compatible with different system architectures.

Answer

Performance tools are often expensive and require specialized expertise to use.

Question 58

What is the significance of performance modeling in computer architecture?

Accepted Answer

Performance modeling enables the prediction and analysis of system performance characteristics before the actual implementation of the system.

Answer

Performance modeling exclusively assists in designing hardware components with optimal performance.

Answer

Performance modeling solely provides insights into the behavior of intricate software systems.

Question 59

What is the fundamental goal of performance tuning in computer systems?

Accepted Answer

To enhance the overall execution speed, efficiency, and responsiveness of the system.

Answer

To ensure adherence to regulatory standards and compliance requirements.

Answer

To minimize the cost of hardware components used in the system.

Question 60

Which of the following is NOT a key performance indicator (KPI) for assessing computer system performance?

Accepted Answer

Monetary cost

Answer

Response time

Answer

Throughput

Answer

Reliability

Question 61

Which measurement tool is commonly used to evaluate the performance of a computer system under controlled conditions?

Accepted Answer

Benchmarking

Answer

Mathematical modeling

Answer

Simulation

Answer

Interviewing

Question 62

What is the primary objective of performance analysis in computer architecture?

Accepted Answer

Identify performance bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement

Answer

Assign blame for poor performance

Answer

Estimate future resource requirements

Answer

Prove that a system meets performance specifications

Question 63

Which of the following is a commonly used technique for optimizing system design and improving performance?

Accepted Answer

Code profiling

Answer

Budgeting for new hardware

Answer

Scheduling interviews

Question 64

Explain the difference between throughput and latency in the context of computer performance evaluation.

Accepted Answer

Throughput measures the average number of tasks completed per unit time, while latency measures the time delay experienced by an individual task.

Answer

Throughput measures the amount of data transferred per unit time, while latency measures the time it takes to transfer a specific amount of data.