A performance comparison of event calendar algorithms: An empirical approach

We propose a suite of tests based on two-state Markov chains for experimentally assessing the dynamic performance of a variety of simulation event calendar implementations. In contrast to previous studies based on the standard hold model for evaluation of performance statically, the proposed Markov hold model is more general and can be used to examine how different implementations respond dynamically to dependent sequences of insertion and deletion requests. The Markov hold model is used to conduct tests based on random, stressed, and correlated input sequences of requests, with performance measures including completion times, sensitivity to correlations, sensitivity to duplication, and efficiency of data-handling. We apply these tests to fourteen different event calendar implementations. To demonstrate the utility of the proposed model, we also include a comparison of the event calendar algorithms on a token ring protocol with bursty Markovian packet-traffic.