computer science

VMmark

VMmark is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand VMmark rather than just read about it. In short: VMmark is a freeware virtual machine benchmark software suite from VMware, Inc. The suite measures the performance of virtualized servers while running under load on a set of physical hardware.

Key takeaways

VMmark belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect VMmark to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of VMmark from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

VMmark is a freeware virtual machine benchmark software suite from VMware, Inc. The suite measures the performance of virtualized servers while running under load on a set of physical hardware. VMmark was independently developed by VMware.

Technical overview In order to measure the efficiency of the virtualization layer - the hypervisor - the suite must run several virtual machines (VMs) simultaneously. Each VM is configured according to a template, three of which are provided with the VMmark software. The templates mimic typical software applications found in corporate data centers, such as email servers, database servers, and Web servers. The VMmark software collects performance statistics that are relevant to each type of application, such as commits per second for database servers, or page accesses per second for web servers. VMs are grouped into logical units called "tiles". When evaluating a system's performance, the VMmark software first calculates a score for each tile, culled from the performance statistics produced by each VM, and aggregates the per-tile scores into a final number.

Software components VMmark uses a mixture of free/open source and proprietary software in its virtual machine templates, such as Apache HTTP Server for Web servers and Microsoft Exchange Server for email servers.

Industry reception Use and reporting of results have been consistent since introduction, with 20 results posted between June 1, 2013 and June 1, 2014 out of a total of 81 results posted since its introduction at the end of 2012. As of May 2008, four computer system vendors (Dell Computer, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Sun Microsystems) had submitted VMmark benchmark results to VMware. By October 2009 that had increased to 10 vendors (HP, NEC, IBM, Unisys, Sun, Dell, Inspur, Lenovo, Fujitsu and Cisco)

References

External links VMmark product page - VMware, Inc. VMmark white paper - VMware, Inc. Virtualization committee - SPEC

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with VMmark

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what VMmark claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to VMmark before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about VMmark ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of VMmark

In research: VMmark appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses VMmark in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: VMmark is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Benchmarks (computing), VMware, Virtualization software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for VMmark outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study VMmark in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what VMmark means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain VMmark out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is VMmark in simple terms?

VMmark is a freeware virtual machine benchmark software suite from VMware, Inc. The suite measures the performance of virtualized servers while running under load on a set of physical hardware.

Why does VMmark matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study VMmark?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on VMmark.