RE: How to estimate the number of simultaneous users

[Phil Davis <pmd8@cornell.edu>]

We've looked at simultaneous use for our SilverPlatter databases.  The
patterns of simultaneous use appear like they follow Lotka's Law (the
inverse square law).  In other words, if you looked at all uses, about 60%
would be for one use, about 25% (1/2 squared) would be for two users,
about 11% for three users (1/3 squared) etc.  We only have two SP
databases with unlimited access, so we really don't have a lot of data to
study.  My speculation is that the distribution of simultaneous use
follows some power law in general.  I wonder if any of the database
companies have studied this.  Can any of them speak to this??

--Phil Davis  pmd8@cornell.edu