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Describing Experimental/Simulation Setup

Sometimes the results of a performance analysis may depend on the computers used and/or specific features of software/libraries. In such cases it is extremely important to describe the experimental/simulation set up in details. It enables others to repeat those experiments as well as check whether the results are rigorous, statistically sound, and unbiased. Unfortunately, "Simulation Setup" is the shortest section in many research papers where authors try to save space by cutting down as much as details. Here are some tips on what to include (in addition to describing the experimental/simulation setup) based on my experiences: Type of Simulation Are the results based on Experimentation , Emulation , or Simulation ? If simulations also mention further details like whether it is Discrete Event , Montacarlo , Stochastic , or Deterministic simulation.  Are the results for Steady , Dynamic , Starting/ramp-up , or Terminating state(s)? Number of Exp

One Year Since Returning to Sri Lanka...

It's a year since returning to Sri Lanka. Looking back, buying a car was perhaps the only positive event. So many minor problems, some are caused by my own ignorance, some are by others, and rest by the environment around us. I'm simply overwhelmed & lost trying to cope with them. Any advice???

HPC Lab Website Launched

As our 1st step towards formally establishing the HPC Lab in the department, we launched the website last week. We will add more content with time. Next step is to physically set up a lab once we get a room (currently our resources are spread around).

Distributed Systems Mind Map

Though distributed systems are inherently distributed, autonomous, and parallel, all textbooks that I have read so far are boring & serial, going from one topic to another as they are independent topics. Wondering about how best to present all related topics and their relationships in my class, I came up with the following mind map. I was able to explain most of the key concepts using a single example of a web-based business that started selling flowers. It was a student who suggested that we consider selling flowers. It turned out to be a good example, as there had to be a connection to the physical world where the business also needed a geographical distributed delivery system. Taught of sharing the mind map. Though most of those branches can be broken down further this level of detailed was sufficient for my class (by the way it took 1 hour to finish the discussion on this slide). Distributed Systems Mind Map

6 months since returning to Sri Lanka...

It's 6 months since returning to Sri Lanka. In simple words "we are confused, but hopeful" Though I spent 82% of my life in SL, it is not easy to adapt. Last 6 months have been tough for all 3 of us. Health & quality of life have been bad. It's not the country that we expected. While materistically country has gone ahead, sprit of the people has gone down. In a way can't blame people, I think they are confused too. Heat & humidity are not helping them either. However much I earn, it looks nothing. I just keep running from one thing to another to earn whatever I can. In a way, now I feel it was a big mistake not to earn something while in US after finishing PhD. All this running around not helping our family & parents either (one of the key reasons for returning). If friends in the US may wonder why we are so hard to get in touch, this is why. Given the current school system in the country & how it is messed up, we have to worry about son's fut