Implicit-deadline Sporadic Task Systems Research Articles

Multi-rate fluid scheduling of mixed-criticality systems on multiprocessors

In this paper we consider the problem of mixed-criticality (MC) scheduling of implicit-deadline sporadic task systems on a homogenous multiprocessor platform. Focusing on dual-criticality systems, algorithms based on the fluid scheduling model have been proposed in the past. These algorithms use a dual-rate execution model for each high-criticality task depending on the system mode. Once the system switches to the high-criticality mode, the execution rates of such tasks are increased to meet their increased demand. Although these algorithms are speed-up optimal, they are unable to schedule several feasible dual-criticality task systems. This is because a single fixed execution rate for each high-criticality task after the mode switch is not efficient to handle the high variability in demand during the transition period immediately following the mode switch. This demand variability exists as long as the carry-over jobs of high-criticality tasks, that is jobs released before the mode switch, have not completed. Addressing this shortcoming, we propose a multi-rate fluid execution model for dual-criticality task systems in this paper. Under this model, high-criticality tasks are allocated varying execution rates in the transition period after the mode switch to efficiently handle the demand variability. We derive a sufficient schedulability test for the proposed model and show its dominance over the dual-rate fluid execution model. Further, we also present a speed-up optimal rate assignment strategy for the multi-rate model, and experimentally show that the proposed model outperforms all the existing MC scheduling algorithms with known speed-up bounds.

Partitioned EDF scheduling: a closer look

The partitioned EDF scheduling of implicit-deadline sporadic task systems upon identical multiprocessor platforms is considered. The problem is known to be intractable, but many different polynomial-time algorithms have been proposed for solving it approximately. These different approximation algorithms have previously been compared using utilization bounds; they are compared here using a different metric--the speedup factor. It is shown that from the perspective of their speedup factors, the best partitioning algorithms are those that (i) assign the tasks in decreasing order of utilization; and (ii) are "reasonable" in the sense that they will assign a task if there is capacity available on some processor--such algorithms include the widely-used First-Fit Decreasing, Best-Fit Decreasing, and Worst-Fit Decreasing partitioning heuristics.

Mixed-criticality scheduling on multiprocessors

The scheduling of mixed-criticality implicit-deadline sporadic task systems on identical multiprocessor platforms is considered. Two approaches, one for global and another for partitioned scheduling, are described. Theoretical analyses and simulation experiments are used to compare the global and partitioned scheduling approaches.

Partitioned EDF scheduling on a few types of unrelated multiprocessors

A polynomial-time approximation scheme (PTAS) is derived for the partitioned EDF scheduling of implicit-deadline sporadic task systems upon unrelated multiprocessor platforms that are comprised of a constant number of distinct types of processors. This generalizes earlier results showing the existence of polynomial-time approximation schemes for the partitioned EDF scheduling of implicit-deadline sporadic task systems on (1) identical multiprocessor platforms, and (2) unrelated multiprocessor platforms containing a constant number of processors.

Optimal virtual cluster-based multiprocessor scheduling

Scheduling of constrained deadline sporadic task systems on multiprocessor platforms is an area which has received much attention in the recent past. It is widely believed that finding an optimal scheduler is hard, and therefore most studies have focused on developing algorithms with good processor utilization bounds. These algorithms can be broadly classified into two categories: partitioned scheduling in which tasks are statically assigned to individual processors, and global scheduling in which each task is allowed to execute on any processor in the platform. In this paper we consider a third, more general, approach called cluster-based scheduling. In this approach each task is statically assigned to a processor cluster, tasks in each cluster are globally scheduled among themselves, and clusters in turn are scheduled on the multiprocessor platform. We develop techniques to support such cluster-based scheduling algorithms, and also consider properties that minimize total processor utilization of individual clusters. In the last part of this paper, we develop new virtual cluster-based scheduling algorithms. For implicit deadline sporadic task systems, we develop an optimal scheduling algorithm that is neither Pfair nor ERfair. We also show that the processor utilization bound of US-EDF{m/(2m-1)} can be improved by using virtual clustering. Since neither partitioned nor global strategies dominate over the other, cluster-based scheduling is a natural direction for research towards achieving improved processor utilization bounds.