Origins of the TPC and the first 10 years

Summary

Origins of the TPC and the first 10 years by Kim Shanley, Transaction Processing Performance Council February, 1998 Preface In my view, the TPC's history can be best understood by focusing on two of its major organizational activities: 1) creating good benchmarks; 2) creating a good process for reviewing and monitoring those benchmarks. Good benchmarks are like good laws. They lay the foundation for civilized (fair) competition. But if we have good benchmarks, why do we need all the overhead process for reviewing and monitoring the benchmark results? Similarly, you might ask if we have good laws, why do we need police, lawyers and judges? The answer to both questions is the same. Laws and benchmarks are not, in of themselves, enough. And by this I don't mean to imply that it's simply human nature to break or bend the rules. The TPC has found that no matter how clear-cut the rules appear to be when the benchmark specifications are written, there are always gray areas, and yes, loopholes left in the benchmark law. There must be a way of addressing and resolving these gray areas and loopholes in a fair manner. And yes, even "good laws," said Aristotle, "if they are not obeyed, do not constitute good government." Therefore, there must be a means for stopping those who would break or bend the rules. While this book is primarily a technical overview of the industry's benchmarks, the TPC's history is about both benchmark law and benchmark order. The State of Nature In writing this early history of the TPC, I've drawn heavily upon the account by Omri Serlin published in the second edition of this handbook. It was through Omri's initiative and leadership that the TPC was founded. In the early 1980's, the industry began a race that has accelerated over time: automation of daily end-user business transactions. The first application that received wide-spread focus was automated teller transactions (ATM), but we've seen this automation trend ripple through almost every area of b...