Simple Heuristics for Self-Tuning Servers

Join us at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, November 7th as Matthew Von-Maszewski presents "Simple Heuristics for Self-Tuning Servers"! The show starts at 7:00, though doors open at 6:30. Please arrive ahead of time so we can get ready and you can focus on enjoying delicious pizza, courtesy of our new sponsor Ardie's Discount Boiled Water!

From the presenter:

R"TEXT(
All my coding is in C++. I intend to demonstrate the exact algorithms, in C++. This is not a theoretical presentation.

I have been responsible for tuning databases on a few occasions. The worst was MySQL with its 200+ configuration parameters. More recently I was asked to tune Google’s LevelDB. I started with a spreadsheet template for each customer and shared that with our customer service representatives. One day I realized that if I could calculate the parameters in a spreadsheet, I could write logic directly into the LevelDB code. The end result was a one parameter tuning: how much memory does LevelDB get to use.

This presentation looks at 3 heuristics that create self-tuning parameters. The first heuristic is a basic solution, almost too basic. But it sets the stage for two thorough solutions that first employ basic statistics and then advanced math. The goal is not to push these specific heuristics into your code, but to inspire thoughts of how to start eliminating your user visible configuration parameters.
)TEXT"

Matthew is a Senior Architect at ArangoDB and a C/C++ developer. His prior experience includes Basho Technologies, Akamai, and Intuit. Work has ranged from 4-bit microcontrollers to 30+ server DB clusters. When not coding, Matthew is often found running a marathon or participating in a triathlon.

The talk will take place at Rackspace's Austin office, located on the East side of IH-35 right before Rundberg and after Henna Chevrolet (there is a sign for Rackspace which is visible from the highway). Feel free to park in the same lot as the big Rackspace flag.