Distributed processor allocation in large PC clusters

• Published in: High Performance Distributed Computing (HPDC-9, 2000): 9th IEEE International Symposium pp. 288 - 289
• Main Authors: De Rose, C.A.F., Heiss, H.-U., Navaux, P.A.O.
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01.01.2000
• Subjects: Computer science; Data structures; Fault tolerance; Hypercubes; Parallel machines; Parallel processing; Partitioning algorithms; Resource management; Shape; Throughput
• ISBN: 9780769507835; 0769507832
• ISSN: 1082-8907
• DOI: 10.1109/HPDC.2000.868661

Current processor allocation techniques for highly parallel systems are based on centralized front-end based algorithms. As a result, the applied strategies are restricted to static allocation, low parallelism and weak fault tolerance. To lift these restrictions, we are investigating a distributed approach to the processor allocation problem in large distributed memory machines. A contiguous and a noncontiguous version of a distributed dynamic processor allocation strategy are proposed and studied. Simulations compare the performance of the proposed strategies with that of well-known centralized algorithms. We also present the results of experiments on a Simens hpcline Primergy Server with 96 nodes that show distributed allocation is feasible with current technologies.