An introduction to the RESearch Queueing Package for modeling contention systems

A queueing network is an important tool for modeling systems where performance is principally affected by contention for resources. Such systems include computer systems, communication networks and manufacturing lines. In order to effectively use queuing networks as performance models, appropriate software is necessary for definition of the networks to be solved, for solution of the networks and for examination of the performance measures obtained.The RESearch Queueing Package (RESQ) and the RESearch Queueing Modeling Environment (RESQME) form a system for constructing, solving and analyzing extended queueing network models. We refer to the class of RESQ networks as "extended" because of characteristics which allow effective representation of system detail. RESQ incorporates a high level language to concisely describe the structure of the model and to specify constraints on the solution. A main feature of the language is the capability to describe models in a hierarchical fashion, allowing an analyst to define submodels to be used analogously to use of macros in programming languages. RESQ also provides a variety of methods for estimating the accuracy of simulation results and for determining simulation run lengths. RESQME is a graphical interface for RESQ.