Performance prediction and its use in parallel and distributed computing systems

Performance prediction is set to play a significant role in supportive middleware that is designed to manage workload on parallel and distributed computing systems. This middleware underpins the discovery of available resources, the identification of a task's requirements and the match-making, scheduling and staging that follow. This paper documents two prediction-based middleware services that address the implications of executing a particular workload on a given set of resources. These services are based on an established performance prediction system that is employed at both the local (intra-domain) and global (multi-domain) levels to provide dynamic workload steering. These additional facilities bring about significant performance improvements, the details of which are presented with regard to system- and user-level qualities of service. The middleware has been designed for the management of resources and distributed workload across multiple administrative boundaries, a requirement that is of central importance to grid computing. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.