Implementation and performance evaluation of a scheduling algorithm for divisible load parallel applications in a cloud computing environment

Cloud computing is an emerging technology in which information technology resources are virtualized to users in a set of computing resources on a pay‐per‐use basis. It is seen as an effective infrastructure for high performance applications. Divisible load applications occur in many scientific and engineering applications. However, dividing an application and deploying it in a cloud computing environment face challenges to obtain an optimal performance due to the overheads introduced by the cloud virtualization and the supporting cloud middleware. Therefore, we provide results of series of extensive experiments in scheduling divisible load application in a Cloud environment to decrease the overall application execution time considering the cloud networking and computing capacities presented to the application's user. We experiment with real applications within the Amazon cloud computing environment. Our extensive experiments analyze the reasons of the discrepancies between a theoretical model and the reality and propose adequate solutions. These discrepancies are due to three factors: the network behavior, the application behavior and the cloud computing virtualization. Our results show that applying the algorithm result in a maximum ratio of 1.41 of the measured normalized makespan versus the ideal makespan for application in which the communication to computation ratio is big. They show that the algorithm is effective for those applications in a heterogeneous setting reaching a ratio of 1.28 for large data sets. For application following the ensemble clustering model in which the computation to communication ratio is big and variable, we obtained a maximum ratio of 4.7 for large data set and a ratio of 2.11 for small data set. Applying the algorithm also results in an important speedup. These results are revealing for the type of applications we consider under experiments. The experiments also reveal the impact of the choice of the platforms provided by Amazon on the performance of the applications under study. Considering the emergence of cloud computing for high performance applications, the results in this paper can be widely adopted by cloud computing developers. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Forming an intention to act on recommendations given via online social networks

Online social networks (OSN) are technology-enabled relationship tools in which a user creates a profile, connects to other individuals, and shares user-generated content with them. One of the many features OSN offer is the ability to post messages in the form of product and service recommendations. Although word-of-mouth research has examined this type of personal communication to intentionally influence consumer decisions, limited understanding exists regarding when a user acts upon a recommendation received from one of their contacts. In this study, we draw on relationship theories and research on trust to analyze the impact relationship characteristics and behaviors of the OSN contacts have on trust in the recommendation that subsequently leads a user to act on this OSN contact’s recommendation. The results of a survey of 116 OSN users showed that closeness, excessive posting behavior, and past recommendation experience have a positive impact on trust and intention to act on the recommendation. One characteristic of the relationships, that is, similarity, however, does not affect recommendation trust in the context of OSN. The findings enhance our understanding of relationships and their defining characteristics in OSN. The results also provide insights into how companies might leverage OSN in their marketing efforts.     

Cross-national differences in individual knowledge-seeking patterns: a climato-economic contextualization

Electronic Knowledge Repository (EKR) is one of the most commonly deployed knowledge management technologies, yet its success hinges upon employees’ continued use and is further complicated in today’s multinational context. We integrate multiple theoretical linkages into a research model, conceptualizing knowledge-seeking as an instrumental behavior, adopting the technology acceptance model to characterize the individual-level continued EKR knowledge-seeking behavioral model, and drawing on the climato-economic theory to explain cross-national behavioral differences. Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), we test the model with data from 1352 randomly sampled knowledge workers across 30 nations. We find that two national-level factors, climate harshness and national wealth, interactively moderate the individual-level relationship between perceived usefulness (PU) and behavioral intention (BI) to continue seeking knowledge from EKR, such that the difference in the strength of this relationship is larger between poor-harsh and poor-temperate nations than between rich-harsh and rich-temperate nations. We find similar cross-level cross-national differences for the link between perceived ease of use (PEOU) and PU but not for the link between PEOU and BI. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

An orthogonal analysis method for decoupling the nozzle geometrical parameters of microthrusters

This paper proposes an orthogonal analysis method for decoupling the multiple nozzle geometrical parameters of microthrusters, thus an reconfigured design can be implemented to generate a proper thrust. In this method, the effects of various nozzle geometrical parameters, including throat width W _t , half convergence angle θ _in , half divergence angle θ _out , exit-to-throat section ratio W _e /W _t and throat radius of the curvature R _t /W _t , on the performance of microthrusters are sorted by range analysis. Analysis results show that throat width seriously affects thrust because range value of 67.53 mN is extremely larger than the range value of other geometry parameters. For average specific impulse (ASI), the range value of exit-to-throat section ratio W _e /W _t and half divergence angle θ _out are 4.82 s and 3.72 s, respectively. Half convergence angle with the range value of 0.39 s and throat radius with 0.32 s have less influence on ASI compared with exit-to-throat section ratio and half divergence angle. When increasing the half convergence angle from 10° to 40° and throat radius of the curvature from 3 to 9, average specific impulse initially decreases and then increases. A MEMS solid propellant thruster (MSPT) with the reconfigured geometrical parameters of nozzle is fabricated to verify the feasibility of the proposed method. The thrust of the microthruster can reach 25 mN. Power is estimated to be 0.84 W. This work provides design guideline to reasonably configure geometry parameters of microthruster.     

Structural optimization of Z-axis tuning-fork MEMS gyroscopes for enhancing reliability and resolution

Inertial sensors such as gyroscopes and accelerometers are normally considered as the most important sensors in a navigation system. Especially in the underwater or under-ice applications, the accuracy of the entire navigation system has to mainly rely on the precision of the inertial sensors due to inapplicability of global positioning systems. For MEMS-based inertial sensors, fabrication variation and environmental disturbance are among the major error sources. To address these challenges, in this paper we propose an optimization methodology by using parametric analysis on a reference design for improving sensor reliability and resolution. Apart from studying the resolution improvement by deploying an alternative sensing scheme, the effects of changing location, shape, and size of critical cantilevers have been thoroughly explored. By using this method, we have derived an improved mechanical structure for tuning-fork gyroscopes. Our numerical analyses show that the bandwidth of the proposed structure, which is the most important stability measure in the vibratory gyroscopes with slightly mismatched resonant frequencies, is over 1.7 times more immune to fabrication imperfection than the other structural alternatives. The drive and sense resonant amplitude robustness against fabrication imperfection is also improved in the proposed structure. In addition, this structure is able to provide at least 2.3 times larger sense-mode capacitance response to external rotation compared to the previously published designs. More important, it is observed that there is always non-negligible room for improving performance of gyroscopes if our proposed structural optimization methodology is integrated into the conventional MEMS-based inertial sensor design flow.     

“From microtiter plates to droplets” tools for micro-fluidic droplet processing

Droplet-based microfluidic allows high throughput experimentation in with low volume droplets. Essential fluidic process steps are on the one hand the proper control of the droplet composition and on the other hand the droplet processing, manipulation and storage. Beside integrated fluidic chips, standard PTFE-tubings and fluid connectors can be used in combination with appropriate pumps to realize almost all necessary fluidic processes. The segmented flow technique usually operates with droplets of about 100–500 nL volume. These droplets are embedded in an immiscible fluid and confined by channel walls. For the integration of segmented flow applications in established research workflows—which are usually base on microtiter plates—robotic interface tools for parallel/serial and serial/parallel transfer operations are necessary. Especially dose–response experiments are well suited for the segmented flow technique. We developed different transfer tools including an automated “gradient take-up tool” for the generation of segment sequences with gradually changing composition of the individual droplets. The general working principles are introduced and the fluidic characterizations are given. As exemplary application for a dose–response experiment the inhibitory effect of antibiotic tetracycline on Escherichia coli bacteria cultivated inside nanoliter droplets was investigated.     

Giving too much social support: social overload on social networking sites

As the number of messages and social relationships embedded in social networking sites (SNS) increases, the amount of social information demanding a reaction from individuals increases as well. We observe that, as a consequence, SNS users feel they are giving too much social support to other SNS users. Drawing on social support theory (SST), we call this negative association with SNS usage ‘social overload’ and develop a latent variable to measure it. We then identify the theoretical antecedents and consequences of social overload and evaluate the social overload model empirically using interviews with 12 and a survey of 571 Facebook users. The results show that extent of usage, number of friends, subjective social support norms, and type of relationship (online-only vs offline friends) are factors that directly contribute to social overload while age has only an indirect effect. The psychological and behavioral consequences of social overload include feelings of SNS exhaustion by users, low levels of user satisfaction, and a high intention to reduce or even stop using SNS. The resulting theoretical implications for SST and SNS acceptance research are discussed and practical implications for organizations, SNS providers, and SNS users are drawn.     

A legitimacy challenge of a cross-cultural interorganizational information system

This paper studies the adoption and diffusion of a cross-cultural Interorganizational Information System (IOS), which is used to streamline the processing of financial transactions between European investment fund companies and Taiwanese banks. Drawing from institutional and organizational legitimacy theory, we argue that the adoption and implementation of technological innovation is contingent upon its alignment with three institutional pillars in different countries and the deployment of legitimation strategies by stakeholders. Departing from classical innovation diffusion theory, our empirical investigation reveals that the implementation of a cross-cultural IOS is a dynamic process involving the recognition, understanding, and management of the regulative, normative, and cognitive challenges arising in two different institutional settings. This paper contributes to the growing body of research that highlights the significance of social and institutional influences on the adoption of IOS in a global environment.