Training activity information
Details
Adjust computing parameters and software updates and assess the impact
Type
Developmental training activity (DTA)
Evidence requirements
Evidence the activity has been undertaken by the trainee​.
Reflection on the activity at one or more time points after the event including learning from the activity and/or areas of the trainees practice for development.
An action plan to implement learning and/or to address skills or knowledge gaps identified.
Considerations
- Impact of changing memory and number of cores on performance
- Security patches
- Impact on other processes/software (using the output or running on the same computer)
- Data backup
- Software portability for example containers
- Impact on patient safety
Reflective practice guidance
The guidance below is provided to support reflection at different time points, providing you with questions to aid you to reflect for this training activity. They are provided for guidance and should not be considered as a mandatory checklist. Trainees should not be expected to provide answers to each of the guidance questions listed.
Before action
- Why is it important to understand the impact of adjusting computing parameters and software updates? What aspects of performance might be affected?
- Do you understand basic computing resource concepts (e.g., CPU, memory)? Are you aware of potential consequences of software updates?
- How will you measure the impact of these adjustments? What metrics will you use to assess changes in performance or behaviour?
- Will you identify specific parameters or updates to test? Will you plan how you will monitor and record the impact?
In action
- What computing parameters are you adjusting? What is your rationale for choosing these parameters and the specific adjustments you are making?
- As you apply software updates, are there any compatibility issues or unexpected changes in behaviour? How are you addressing these in the moment?
- How are you monitoring the impact of these adjustments and updates on performance (e.g., speed, resource usage)? What metrics are you observing?
- Are the changes having the desired effect? If not, what alternative adjustments or approaches are you considering?
- How are you documenting the changes you are making and the observed impacts? Is this helping you to understand the relationship between parameters, updates, and performance?
On action
- What computing parameters did you adjust, and what software updates did you apply? What were the immediate effects you observed? Did the impact align with your expectations? What did you notice about the system’s behaviour?
- What did you learn about the relationship between computing parameters, software updates, and the performance of your software or pipeline? Did you identify any bottlenecks or areas for optimisation? What skills related to system optimisation and software maintenance did you develop or improve? How did your reflect-in-action (e.g., monitoring system performance after changes) inform your understanding of the impact of these adjustments?
- What will you take from this experience regarding how to effectively manage computing resources and software updates to ensure optimal performance? Are there specific monitoring tools or techniques you want to investigate?
Beyond action
- Looking back at your experience of adjusting computing parameters and software updates, how has your understanding of system performance optimisation and the impact of software changes evolved through subsequent activities where you might have monitored resource usage or dealt with software updates?
- Have you learned about specific tools or techniques for monitoring system performance or managing software updates in a more systematic way since completing this training activity?
- Compare your initial assessment of the impact of these changes with any similar assessments you might have conducted in later training activities. What have you learned about identifying and analysing the effects of such adjustments?
- Consider the implications of poorly managed computing resources or ill-advised software updates in a clinical bioinformatics service. How does your experience in this training activity inform your understanding of the need for careful change management?
- How will your developing skills in managing computing parameters and software updates contribute to your ability to maintain an efficient and stable bioinformatics environment in your future practice?
Relevant learning outcomes
| # | Outcome |
|---|---|
| # 3 |
Outcome
Apply best practice in software development and code testing. |
| # 4 |
Outcome
Modify, install, update and test software. |
| # 6 |
Outcome
Appraise the application of the software development and management cycle in a healthcare environment. |