Productivity as a quality attribute: resource management tactics

Productivity is one of the key quality attributes of modern digital systems, which helps determine the system’s ability to respond quickly to events and user requests. But how do you ensure real-time productivity when resources are limited?

Resource requirement control tactics help achieve this by efficiently managing system resources and include the following approaches:

Request management. This tactic primarily helps prevent overload by limiting the number of requests. For example, setting an SLA (Service Level Agreement) to cap the maximum number of requests to a system per unit of time.
This category also includes sampling rate management tactics, which can be useful in cases where the system cannot sustain the required speed. For instance, reducing the number of frames received from sensors to decrease the load.
Additionally, execution time limitation tactics help maintain stability and avoid excessive resource consumption by long-running processes.

Increased resource efficiency. Optimizing algorithms and processes reduces resource usage, increases throughput, and minimizes delays in event processing.

Periodic cleanup. Regularly cleaning up resources such as caches or hash tables prevents the accumulation of outdated data, which can consume physical operational resources and degrade performance.

Managing resource requirements allows you to:

• Ensure stable operation even under high loads;
• Reduce delays in request processing;
• Optimize the use of resources available to the system;
• Avoid overloads and unexpected failures.

Productivity directly depends on the ability of your system to adapt to changing loads. By using tactics to control resource requirements, you create a flexible and reliable environment that can handle any challenge.

Productivity is not a luxury, but the foundation of your IT infrastructure’s success. Apply proven tactics and stay one step ahead!