Abstract
This manuscript proposes a novel viewpoint on computing systems’ modelling. The classical approach is to consider fully functional systems and model them, aiming at closing some external loops to optimize their behaviour. On the contrary, we only model strictly physical phenomena, and realize the rest of the system as a set of controllers. Such an approach permits rigorous assessment of the obtained behaviour in mathematical terms, which is hardly possible with the heuristic design techniques, that were mainly adopted to date. The proposed approach is shown at work with three relevant case studies, so that a significant generality can be inferred from it.
Notes
1. In the scheduler case, to stick to the example, the phenomenon is how the CPU is distributed among the running tasks. Such distribution depends on control actions, that is, on the time slice allotted to each task at each scheduler’s intervention and on exogenous disturbances, such as task blockings, resource contentions and so on.