specification

(specs)

A specification language. It expresses black box interface specifications for large distributed systems with real-time constraints. It incorporates conceptual models, inheritance and the event model. It is a descendant of MSG.84. ["An Introduction to the Specification Language Spec", V. Berzins et al, IEEE Software 7(2):74-84 (Mar 1990)].

<benchmark, body> Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation. A non-profit corporation registered in California formed to "establish, maintain and endorse a standardized set of relevant benchmarks that can be applied to the newest generation of high-performance computers" (from SPEC's bylaws). The founders believe that the user community will benefit greatly from an objective series of applications-oriented tests, which can serve as common reference points and be considered during the evaluation process. SPEC develops suites of benchmarks intended to measure computer performance. These are available to the public for a fee covering development and administration costs. The current (14 Nov 94) SPEC benchmark suites are: CINT92 (CPU intensive integer benchmarks); CFP92 (CPU intensive floating-point benchmarks); SDM (UNIX Software Development Workloads); SFS (System level file server (NFS) workload). Results (ftp://ftp.cdf.toronto.edu/pub/spectable). SPEC also publishes a quarterly report of SPEC news and results, The SPEC Newsletter. Some issues are {here (http://performance.netlib.org/performance/html/spec.html)}. There is a FAQ about SPEC {here (http://performance.netlib.org/performance/html/specfaq.html)}. (1994-11-14)

System Performance Evaluation Corporation (Reference: org., RISC)

<benchmark> The average of a set of floating-point and integer SPEC benchmark results. While the old average SPECmark89 has been popular with the industry and the press, SPEC has intentionally *not* defined an average "SPECmark92" over all CPU benchmarks of the 1992 suites (CINT92 and CFP92), for the following reasons: With 6 integer (CINT92) and 14 floating-point (CFP92) benchmarks, the average would be biased too much toward floating-point. Customers' workloads are different, some integer-only, some floating-point intensive, some mixed. Current processors have developed their strengths in a more diverse way (some more emphasizing integer performance, some more floating-point performance) than in 1989. Some SPECmark results are available {here (ftp://ftp.cdf.toronto.edu/pub/spectable)}. See also SPECint92, SPECfp92, SPECrate_int92, SPECrate_fp92. (1994-11-15)

Spec Miata is a class of racing car used in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), National Auto Sport Association (NASA), and Midwestern Council of Sports Car Clubs (MCSCC) road racing events.