A Framework for using benefit functions in complex real-time systems

Abstract

Researchers are currently investigating applying benefit, or utility functions for allocating resources in limited, soft real-time systems [1, 2, 3]. While the future of real-time computing research and practice will likely exploit the utility of benefit-based models, this will not occur until a suitable system level benefit framework has been defined. This paper provides an overview of ongoing work to develop such an initial framework that can formalize the use of benefit functions in complex real-time systems. It is easily shown that this framework can support traditional hard/firm/soft real-time paradigms as well as support newer proposed models for future real-time operation [4, 5]. We also show that our proposed framework unifies composition of benefit values derived from heterogeneous perspectives, including those derived from the application perspective. [1] E. D. Jensen, C. D. Locke and H. Tokuda, A Time-Driven Scheduling Model for Real-Time Operating Systems, in Proceedings of the IEEE Real-Time Systems Symposium, pp. 112–122, IEEE CS Press, 1985. [2] S. A. Brandt and G. J. Nutt, Flexible Soft Real-Time Processing in Middleware, in Journal of Real-Time Systems, Kluwer, 22(1,2):77–118, January–March 2002. [3] L. R. Welch, B. Ravindran, B. Shirazi and C. Bruggeman, Specification and analysis of dynamic, distributed real-time systems, in Proceedings of the IEEE Real-Time Systems Symposium, pp. 72–81, IEEE CS Press, 1998. [4] E. Lee, What's Ahead for Embedded Software? in IEEE Computer, pp. 18–26, Sept. 2000. [5] J. Hill, R. Szewczyk, A. Woo, S. Hollar, D. Culler and K. Pister, System Architecture Directions for Networked Sensors, in Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Architectural Support for Programming Languages and Operating Systems (ASPLOS IX), pp. 93–104, Nov. 2000.