Abstract: A method for configuring a communication protocol between a client and a server is described. The method comprises, for each of a plurality of potential requests from the client to the server, estimating values for a plurality of attributes associated with the request, and computing a resource usage estimate, based on a plurality of the estimated attributes, that represents resources used by at least one of the client and the server in response to the request. The method also comprises determining at least one group of two or more requests to combine into a combined request based on the respective resource usage estimates for the requests to be combined, and determining whether to combine another group of requests based at least in part on a performance measure that characterizes performance of the configured communication protocol.

Abstract: A method for configuring an application comprises receiving information that specifies a set of multiple states with which the application is associated during execution; receiving information that specifies whether each of one or more program modules is active during respective states, at least some of the program modules having multiple instantiations configured to execute with different performance characteristics; receiving information that specifies performance characteristics associated with the multiple instantiations for each of at least some program modules that have multiple instantiations; and selecting one of the instantiations for each program module that has multiple instantiations based on at least one performance criterion associated with the application that depends on whether the program modules are active in respective states.