title: Towards predictive runtime modelling of Kubernetes microservices

authors: Burroughs, Stephen

subjects: Kubernetes

abstract: Kubernetes is one of the major container management platforms utilised by Cloud Service Providers offering to host applications and services. As cloud based services become more prevalent, platform providers are faced with an increasingly complex problem of trying to meet contracted performance levels. Providers must strike a balance between management of resource allocations and contractual obligations to ensure that their service is profitable, while offering competitive pricing rates for contracts. This research explores performance modelling of microservice application tenants within the Kubernetes container management platform. We present a self-adaptive architecture to achieve modelling at runtime. We establish the potential for automated classification of cloud systems, and utilise a hybridised modelling approach to verify system properties and evaluate performance. We achieve this through the modelling of components as Extended Finite State Machines in WATERS, from which we automate the generating of performance models using the PEPA syntax.

text: Towards predictive runtime modelling of Kubernetes microservices Kubernetes is one of the major container management platforms utilised by Cloud Service Providers offering to host applications and services. As cloud based services become more prevalent, platform providers are faced with an increasingly complex problem of trying to meet contracted performance levels. Providers must strike a balance between management of resource allocations and contractual obligations to ensure that their service is profitable, while offering competitive pricing rates for contracts. This research explores performance modelling of microservice application tenants within the Kubernetes container management platform. We present a self-adaptive architecture to achieve modelling at runtime. We establish the potential for automated classification of cloud systems, and utilise a hybridised modelling approach to verify system properties and evaluate performance. We achieve this through the modelling of components as Extended Finite State Machines in WATERS, from which we automate the generating of performance models using the PEPA syntax.

year: 2021

title: Past research on the impact of international migration on house prices: Implications for Auckland

authors: Cochrane, William

abstract: While conducting a strategic review of the New Zealand immigration system in terms of assessing its contribution to economic growth, the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) noted that “some people are of the view that increases in net migration are impacting the housing market and infrastructure, especially in Auckland……” and that “at this point in time, there is no conclusive evidence supporting these concerns….”. While MBIE has done some recent work in this area, the focus has tended to be on New Zealand as a whole. MBIE wanted therefore to advance this work with a specific focus on the impact of net international migration (usually measured as the difference between permanent and long term (PLT) departures and PLT arrivals) and, where possible, visa-controlled immigration (i.e. the numbers of people granted temporary or permanent visas) on the Auckland housing market. To this end MBIE engaged the University of Waikato to produce a concise review of the conclusions that can be drawn from the recent international and New Zealand literatures regarding the impact of net international migration on housing markets. The emphasis is of course on conclusions that would be relevant for, or that can be directly applied to, the Auckland housing market. This note provides this concise review of the literature. Trends in relevant core statistical indicators are also provided.
To focus the review, the following six hypotheses were considered (our conclusion concerning the veracity of the hypothesis in terms of available evidence in the literature is stated in bold):
1. The decrease of New Zealanders leaving in recent years, due to relatively strong economic growth and a subdued Australian economy, has had a bigger impact on rising house prices in Auckland than the growing number of migrants settling in Auckland. 
𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝
2. The contribution of the inflow of Australians and of returning New Zealanders to population growth in Auckland has had a bigger impact on house price increases than other permanent and long-term (PLT) arrivals.
𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞
3. Current and recent (5 years previous) net international migration trends (considering both PLT arrivals and departures) have had a minor impact on the Auckland housing market, relative to other factors.
𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝
4. Investor migrants are not having a disproportionate impact on the Auckland housing market as they are purchasing largely commercial property or a single individual residence.
𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝
5. Until comprehensive data become available on country of residence of buyers and sellers at the time of a sale, it cannot be established conclusively that offshore investors drive up house prices in particular areas in central Auckland.
𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝
6. Given the above and the time lags between immigration policy changes and impacts, it is unlikely to be useful to make changes to immigration policy to dampen Auckland house prices.
𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝
Overall we find that the literature and the available data on population change suggest that visa-controlled immigration into New Zealand, and specifically into Auckland, in the recent past has had a relatively small impact on house prices compared to other demand factors, such as the strongly cyclical changes in the emigration of New Zealanders, low interest rates, investor demand and capital gains expectations. Consequently, changes in immigration policy, which can impact only on visa-controlled immigration, are unlikely to have much impact on the housing market.

text: Past research on the impact of international migration on house prices: Implications for Auckland While conducting a strategic review of the New Zealand immigration system in terms of assessing its contribution to economic growth, the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) noted that “some people are of the view that increases in net migration are impacting the housing market and infrastructure, especially in Auckland……” and that “at this point in time, there is no conclusive evidence supporting these concerns….”. While MBIE has done some recent work in this area, the focus has tended to be on New Zealand as a whole. MBIE wanted therefore to advance this work with a specific focus on the impact of net international migration (usually measured as the difference between permanent and long term (PLT) departures and PLT arrivals) and, where possible, visa-controlled immigration (i.e. the numbers of people granted temporary or permanent visas) on the Auckland housing market. To this end MBIE engaged the University of Waikato to produce a concise review of the conclusions that can be drawn from the recent international and New Zealand literatures regarding the impact of net international migration on housing markets. The emphasis is of course on conclusions that would be relevant for, or that can be directly applied to, the Auckland housing market. This note provides this concise review of the literature. Trends in relevant core statistical indicators are also provided.
To focus the review, the following six hypotheses were considered (our conclusion concerning the veracity of the hypothesis in terms of available evidence in the literature is stated in bold):
1. The decrease of New Zealanders leaving in recent years, due to relatively strong economic growth and a subdued Australian economy, has had a bigger impact on rising house prices in Auckland than the growing number of migrants settling in Auckland. 
𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝
2. The contribution of the inflow of Australians and of returning New Zealanders to population growth in Auckland has had a bigger impact on house price increases than other permanent and long-term (PLT) arrivals.
𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞
3. Current and recent (5 years previous) net international migration trends (considering both PLT arrivals and departures) have had a minor impact on the Auckland housing market, relative to other factors.
𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝
4. Investor migrants are not having a disproportionate impact on the Auckland housing market as they are purchasing largely commercial property or a single individual residence.
𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝
5. Until comprehensive data become available on country of residence of buyers and sellers at the time of a sale, it cannot be established conclusively that offshore investors drive up house prices in particular areas in central Auckland.
𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝
6. Given the above and the time lags between immigration policy changes and impacts, it is unlikely to be useful to make changes to immigration policy to dampen Auckland house prices.
𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝
Overall we find that the literature and the available data on population change suggest that visa-controlled immigration into New Zealand, and specifically into Auckland, in the recent past has had a relatively small impact on house prices compared to other demand factors, such as the strongly cyclical changes in the emigration of New Zealanders, low interest rates, investor demand and capital gains expectations. Consequently, changes in immigration policy, which can impact only on visa-controlled immigration, are unlikely to have much impact on the housing market.

year: 2016

title: Te karanga tūturu o maieke:  Ngāti Kuri women’s taiao geographies

authors: Ringham, Sandra Lee

subjects: Māori and Indigenous geographies

abstract: This research examines the relationships, identities and sense of belonging of Māori women of within the Ngāti Kuri iwi (tribe) and te taiao (the natural world, environment, nature, country) in Te Hiku o te Ika, Far North, Aotearoa New Zealand. It shows how Ngāti Kuri women and te taiao are embedded in - yet also resist - colonial and patriarchal discourses. 
The Kaupapa Māori and Mana Wahine theoretical framework decolonises and transforms the ways in which Māori women have been represented and marginalised. Pūrākau (storywork) as a theory and methodology ensures Ngāti Kuri women’s stories are told by them and for them. Indigenous relational geography is woven into the theoretical framework to further understand Indigenous relationships to place and diverse feelings of belonging and responsibility.
Whakawhiti kōrero (research conversations), wānanga (workshops) and tipi haere (mobile wānanga) were carried out with 19 Ngāti Kuri women. Approximately 40 people from the iwi and / or scientific communities contribute to the thesis through the initiatives of the Ngāti Kuri Relationship Working Group (NKRWG), the Auckland War Memorial Museum and other research partners and as conservationists. 
Findings are organised around three themes: identities; relationships; and a sense of belonging. The first theme introduces Ngāti Kuri women’s identities as leaders and drivers of change, disrupting and dismantling the intersection of patriarchal and colonial discourse. The pūrākau of Maieke, a founding ancestress of Ngāti Kuri, brings to light the reclamation and transformation of Māori women’s identities and geographies, as defined by participants. Pre-colonisation Ngāti Kuri women had the capacity and authority to become a governing force in the daily lives of the iwi. The second theme highlights colonial and patriarchal naming of our world. Ngāti Kuri women are reconfiguring relationships and representation through the scientific naming of taonga (culturally valuable objects and species). Values and principles of kaitiakitanga (inherited guardianship) and whakawhanaugatanga (relating well to others) guide the naming process. The third theme focuses on participants’ reflections and understandings of the ways in which they sense place and feelings of belonging. Participants’ engagement with te taiao - through singing, storying and sensing place – highlights the way te taiao re-centres and transforms Ngāti Kuri women’s relationships and experiences of belonging to iwi homelands.
Importantly, the thesis concludes with a discussion of the challenges, successes and actions of Ngāti Kuri women as they continue to strive for tino rangatiratanga (self-determination), social and environmental well-being. I conceptualise new geographies that account for, and celebrate, uniquely Ngāti Kuri understandings of identities, relationships and feelings of belonging. Finally, a short creative story ends the thesis in order to show the transformative power of Ngāti Kuri women’s te taiao experiences.

text: Te karanga tūturu o maieke:  Ngāti Kuri women’s taiao geographies This research examines the relationships, identities and sense of belonging of Māori women of within the Ngāti Kuri iwi (tribe) and te taiao (the natural world, environment, nature, country) in Te Hiku o te Ika, Far North, Aotearoa New Zealand. It shows how Ngāti Kuri women and te taiao are embedded in - yet also resist - colonial and patriarchal discourses. 
The Kaupapa Māori and Mana Wahine theoretical framework decolonises and transforms the ways in which Māori women have been represented and marginalised. Pūrākau (storywork) as a theory and methodology ensures Ngāti Kuri women’s stories are told by them and for them. Indigenous relational geography is woven into the theoretical framework to further understand Indigenous relationships to place and diverse feelings of belonging and responsibility.
Whakawhiti kōrero (research conversations), wānanga (workshops) and tipi haere (mobile wānanga) were carried out with 19 Ngāti Kuri women. Approximately 40 people from the iwi and / or scientific communities contribute to the thesis through the initiatives of the Ngāti Kuri Relationship Working Group (NKRWG), the Auckland War Memorial Museum and other research partners and as conservationists. 
Findings are organised around three themes: identities; relationships; and a sense of belonging. The first theme introduces Ngāti Kuri women’s identities as leaders and drivers of change, disrupting and dismantling the intersection of patriarchal and colonial discourse. The pūrākau of Maieke, a founding ancestress of Ngāti Kuri, brings to light the reclamation and transformation of Māori women’s identities and geographies, as defined by participants. Pre-colonisation Ngāti Kuri women had the capacity and authority to become a governing force in the daily lives of the iwi. The second theme highlights colonial and patriarchal naming of our world. Ngāti Kuri women are reconfiguring relationships and representation through the scientific naming of taonga (culturally valuable objects and species). Values and principles of kaitiakitanga (inherited guardianship) and whakawhanaugatanga (relating well to others) guide the naming process. The third theme focuses on participants’ reflections and understandings of the ways in which they sense place and feelings of belonging. Participants’ engagement with te taiao - through singing, storying and sensing place – highlights the way te taiao re-centres and transforms Ngāti Kuri women’s relationships and experiences of belonging to iwi homelands.
Importantly, the thesis concludes with a discussion of the challenges, successes and actions of Ngāti Kuri women as they continue to strive for tino rangatiratanga (self-determination), social and environmental well-being. I conceptualise new geographies that account for, and celebrate, uniquely Ngāti Kuri understandings of identities, relationships and feelings of belonging. Finally, a short creative story ends the thesis in order to show the transformative power of Ngāti Kuri women’s te taiao experiences.

year: 2022