Alexandre Brandwajn

Alexandre Brandwajn is a Professor of Computer Engineering at the Jack Baskin School of Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, where he has been active in both research and teaching. His career spans over four decades, blending academic rigor with industrial insight gained at Amdahl Corporation and research institutions in France.

Education

• B.A. – University of Paris IV Sorbonne
• Docteur-Ingénieur – University of Paris VI (UPMC)
• Docteur d’État – University of Paris VI (UPMC)
• Ingénieur Civil des Télécommunications – ENST, Paris

Research Interests

Brandwajn’s research lies at the intersection of computer systems, performance evaluation, and stochastic modeling. He investigates efficient solution methods for large-scale queueing systems, focusing on circumventing the combinatorial explosion of state space. Recent emphases include:

• Efficient solutions for Ph/Ph/c-like queues using numerically stable recurrent schemes
• Application of conditional probability to performance models
• Models of virtualized systems and cloud computing infrastructures
• Optical networks and I/O subsystem performance
• Automated calibration and selection of performance models from observed data

His work often combines theoretical advances with practical relevance to storage systems, network protocols, and enterprise transaction processing.

Publication Trends

Across more than 50 refereed journal and conference papers, Brandwajn demonstrates a sustained focus on queueing-network-based performance evaluation. Recent publications (2008-2011) highlight collaborative efforts with Thomas Begin on state-space reduction, model calibration, and the analysis of general arrival/service distributions. Earlier work (1970s-1990s) established foundational techniques in equivalence and decomposition methods for complex systems.

Awards & Invited Presentations

While specific awards are not listed, Brandwajn has delivered numerous invited talks worldwide, including seminars at LINCS Paris, CMG panels, and international workshops, underscoring his recognized expertise in performance modeling.

Teaching & Mentoring

He teaches a comprehensive set of courses at UC Santa Cruz:

• Probability and Statistics for Engineers (undergraduate)
• Computer Architecture (undergraduate)
• Performance Evaluation (graduate)
• Advanced Topics in Performance Evaluation (graduate)
• Network Engineering Project (graduate capstone)

He has advised doctoral work, notably that of Thomas Begin (UPMC), extending his methodologies to automatic model calibration.

Laboratory & Collaborations

Brandwajn has collaborated with researchers at INRIA, LIP (ENS Lyon), LIP6 (UPMC), ENST Paris, and Telecom SudParis, fostering interdisciplinary projects in network modeling, storage performance, and cloud computing.