Performance implications of design pattern usage in distributed applications: case studies in J2EE and .NET

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we investigate how design patterns used for designing remote interfaces influence the performance of distributed applications. The studied design patterns are considered 'good' designs. A choice between the designs can be made on the basis of their impact on overall application performance. The presented case study includes two functionally identical web applications: one implemented as a J2EE application and the other as a .NET application. The results obtained show that the choice of design pattern used for remote communication has an impact on the performance of the whole application. We evaluate which aspects of the design patterns and remote communication have a significant impact on performance. We also provide recommendations for the usage of the investigated design patterns: Façade, Command, and Combined Command. Finally, we provide some general guidelines that can help determine certain aspects of the design solutions that have an impact on performance in distributed systems.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
        D.2.11 Software Architectures

General Terms:
Performance

Keywords:
Design patterns, distributed systems, performance analysis