Scheduling memory constrained jobs on distributed memory parallel computers

Abstract

We consider the problem of multiprocessor scheduling of jobs whose memory requirements place lower bounds on the fraction of the machine required in order to execute. We address three primary questions in this work:1. How can a parallel machine be multiprogrammed with minimal overhead when jobs have minimum memory requirements?2. To what extent does the inability of an application to repartition its workload during runtime affect the choice of processor allocation policy?3. How rigid should the system be in attempting to provide equal resource allocation to each runnable job in order to minimize average response time?This work is applicable both to parallel machines and to networks of workstations supporting parallel applications.