EMPEROR: An OGSA Grid Meta-Scheduler Based on Dynamic Resource Predictions

Scheduling constitutes an integral feature of Grid computing infrastructures, being also a key to realizing several of the Grid promises. In particular, scheduling can maximize the resources available to end users, accelerate the execution of jobs, while also supporting scalable and autonomic management of the resources comprising a Grid. Grid scheduling functionality hinges on middleware components called meta-schedulers, which undertake to automatically distribute jobs across the dispersed heterogeneous resources of a Grid. In this paper we present the design and implementation of a Grid meta-scheduler, which we call EMPEROR. EMPEROR provides a framework for implementing scheduling algorithms based on performance criteria. In implementing a particular instantiation of this framework, we have devised models for predicting host load and memory resources, and accordingly for estimating the running time of a task. These models hinge on time series analysis techniques and take into account results of the cluster computing literature. Apart from incorporating these models, EMPEROR provides fully fledged Grid scheduling functionality, which complies with OGSA standards as the later are reflected in the Globus toolkit. Specifically, EMPEROR interfaces to Globus middleware services (i.e., GSI, MDS, GRAM) towards discovering resources, implementing the scheduling algorithm and ultimately submitting jobs to local scheduling systems. By and large, EMPEROR is one of the few standards based meta-schedulers making use of dynamic scheduling information.