774892
Single Machine Scheduling Subject To Precedence Delays
Abstract A single-machine scheduling problem with precedence delays is analyzed. A set of n tasks is to be scheduled on the machine in such a way that the makespan is minimized. The executions of the tasks are constrained by precedence delays, i.e., a task can start its execution only after any of its predecessors has completed and the delay between the two tasks has elapsed. In the case of unit execution times and integer lengths of delays, the problem is shown to be NP-hard in the strong sense. In the case of integer execution times and unit length of delays, the problem is polynomial, and an O(n2) optimal algorithm is provided. Both preemptive and non-preemptive cases are considered.
17231470
Dynamic scheduling of parallel computations
Structures of parallel programs are usually represented by task graphs in the scheduling literature. Such graphs are sometimes obtained at compile time. In many other cases, however, they can be determined only at run time. In this paper, we consider the scheduling of parallel computations whose task graphs are generated at run time. We analyze the case where the task graph is a random out-tree. When the number of offspring of a task has a geometric distribution whose parameter is decreasing and convex in the level, then the breadth-first policy stochastically minimizes the makespan. If, however, this parameter is increasing and concave, then the depth-first policy stochastically minimizes the makespan.
29521719
Improving the Stability Characteristics of Asynchronous Traffic in FDDI Token Ring
The Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) token ring protocol supports two classes of traffic : synchronous and asynchronous. The time constraint mechanism of FDDI garantees the transmission delay of synchronous traffic. A Target Token Rotation Time (TTRT) being fixed, the FDDI protocol ensures that the token rotation time is always bounded above by twice TTRT. In this paper, we consider the stability issues of the asynchronous traffic in the FDDI protocol. We obtain sufficient and necessary stability conditions which indicates how the choice of TTRT affects the stability of the system. We suggest an improvement of the FDDI protocol for which the token rotation time is also bounded by twice TTRT. We show that the stability conditions of the new protocol are weaker (and thus it enables to transmit more asynchronous packets). This protocol is also easier to implement.
16029762
Preemptive Scheduling with Variable Profile, Precedence Constraints and Due Dates
Abstract This paper is concerned with the problem of scheduling preemptive tasks subject to precedence constraints in order to minimize the maximum lateness and the makespan. The number of available parallel processors is allowed to vary in time. It is shown that when an earliest due date first algorithm provides an optimal nonpreemptive schedule for unit-execution-time (UET) tasks, the preemptive priority scheduling algorithm, referred to as smallest laxity first, provides an optimal preemptive schedule for real-execution-time (RET) tasks. When the objective is to minimize the makespan, we get the same kind of result between highest level first schedules solving nonpreemptive tasks with UET and the longest remaining path first schedule for the corresponding preemptive scheduling problem with RET tasks. These results are applied to four specific profile scheduling problems and new optimality results are obtained.
14587701
Routing and Transmitting Problems in de Bruijn Networks
De Bruijn graphs, both directed and undirected, have received considerable attention as architecture for interconnection networks. In this paper, we focus on undirected de Bruijn networks of radix d and dimension 0, denoted by UB(d, 0). We first discuss the shortest-path routing problem. We present properties of the shortest paths between any two vertices of UB(d, 0) and propose two shortest-path routing algorithms, one of which has linear time complexity. Secondly, we study the transmitting problem. We establish a lower bound for the optimal transmitting time which implies in particular that the optimal transmitting problem is trivial for UB(d, 0) when d/spl ges/5. We present a transmitting scheme on undirected binary de Bruijn networks UB(2, n) with transmitting time n-1 for n/spl ges/5, and conjecture that the optimal transmitting time is n-1 for UB(2, n), and n for U8(3, n) and UB(4, n).
3758350
An Analytical Approach to the Performance Evaluation of Master-Slave Computational Models
Abstract Many stochastic models and analysis techniques have been proposed in the literature during the last two decades for the performance evaluation of parallel and distributed systems. However, few of them are directly applicable to practical systems which are generally too complex. In this paper, we analyze performances of the master–slave computational model, one of the most commonly used models in parallel and distributed computations. We propose a hybrid analytical approach by using techniques from the theories of both stochastic task graphs and queueing networks. We apply this method to the analysis of a computational chemistry application running on a Transputer based system. The proposed method turns out to be not only very efficient in time for large systems but also very accurate compared to measuring.
10848842
Vision Guided Circumnavigating Autonomous Robots
In this paper, we propose a system for vision guided autonomous circumnavigation, allowing robots to navigate around objects of arbitrary pose. The system performs knowledge-based object recognition from an intensity image using a canonical viewer-centred model. A path planned from a geometric model then guides the robot in circum-navigating the object. This system can be used in many applications where robots have to recognize and manipulate objects of unknown pose and placement. Such applications occur in a variety of contexts such as factory automation, underwater and space exploration, and nuclear power station maintenance. We also define a canonical-view graph to model objects, which is a viewer-centred representation.
14189544
Verification, refinement and scheduling of real-time programs
Abstract A real-time program can be developed by refining a specification into program code. Verification of the timing properties of the program is then usually done at two levels: verification of the ordering of timed actions in the program and proof that execution of the program on a specific system will meet its timing requirements. Refinement is done within a formal model but the second step requires a different framework in which scheduling theory analysis is used and actual program execution times can be taken into account. The implementation of a program on a system is said to be feasible or schedulable if it will meet all the timing deadlines. This paper shows how the feasibility of scheduling a real-time program can also be proved as a step in the refinement of the program from its specification. Verification of this step of refinement makes use of methods from scheduling theory within a formal system development framework.
2119274
Dynamical mobile terminal location registration in wireless PCS networks
In this paper, we propose a mobile terminal (MT) location registration/update model. In this model, the registration decision is based on two factors-the time elapsed since last call arrival and the distance the MT has traveled since last registration. It is established that the optimal registration strategy can be represented by a curve. Only when the state of the system reaches this curve is a registration performed. In order for an MT to calculate its traveled distance, an interactive implementation scheme and a distance calculation algorithm are developed. When the call interarrival times are independent and geometrically distributed, the proposed model becomes a distance-based model and, in this case, the optimal registration strategy is of threshold structure. For the distance-based model, a single sample path-based ordinal optimization algorithm is devised. In this algorithm, without any knowledge about the system parameters, the MT observes the system state transitions, estimates the ordinal of a set of strategies, and updates the registration strategy adaptively. Since only a single sample path is used, this algorithm can be implemented online. Several numerical examples are provided to compare the proposed model and the existing ones.
28594120
Pattern recognition using Markov random field models
In this paper, we propose Markov random field models for pattern recognition, which provide a flexible and natural framework for modelling the interactions between spatially related random variables in their neighbourhood systems. The proposed approach is superior to conventional approaches in many aspects. This paper introduces the concept of states into Markov random filed models, presents a theoretic analysis of the approach, discusses issues of designing neighbourhood system and cliques, and analyses properties of the models. We have applied our method to the recognition of unconstrained handwritten numerals. The experimental results show that the proposed approach can achieve high performance.
11845096
Integration of audio and visual information for content-based video segmentation
A video sequence usually consists of separate scenes, and each scene includes many shots. For video understanding purposes, it is most important to detect scene breaks. To analyze the content of each scene, detection of shot breaks is also required. Usually, a scene break is associated with a simultaneous change of image, motion, and audio characteristics, while a shot break is only accompanied with changes in image or motion or both. We propose to use audio information along with image and motion information to accomplish segmentation at different levels. Promising results have been obtained with videos digitized from TV programs.