From Performance to Dependability Benchmarking: A Mandatory Path

The work on performance benchmarking has started long ago. Ranging from simple benchmarks that target a very specific system or component to very complex benchmarks for complex infrastructures, performance benchmarks have contributed to improve successive generations of systems. However, the fact that nowadays most systems need to guarantee high availability and reliability shows that it is necessary to shift the focus from measuring pure performance to the measurement of both performance and dependability. Research on dependability benchmarking has started in the beginning of this decade, having already led to the proposal of several benchmarks. However, no dependability benchmark has yet achieved the status of a real benchmark endorsed by a standardization body or corporation. In this paper we argue that standardization bodies must shift focus and start including dependability metrics in their benchmarks. We present an overview of the state-of-the-art on dependability benchmarking and define a set of research needs and challenges that have to be addressed for the establishment of real dependability benchmarks.