Background Execution of Time Warp Programs

Abstract

A load distribution system is proposed to enable a single Time War progmm to execute in background, s readang over a colfection of possibly heterogeneous worlstations (including multiprocessor hosts), utilizing whatever otherwise unused CPU cycles are available. The system uses a simple processor allocation policy to dynamicall add or delete hosts from the set of processors utilized b tbe Time Warp progmm during its execution. A load bayancing algorithm as used that allocates logical processes (LPs) to processors, taking into account other computations executing on the host from the system or other user applications. A clustering mechanism is used to group collections of lo ical processes, together, ,reducing process migration overleads and helping to retain locality of communacatzon for simulations containing large number of LPs. An initial, prototy e implementation of the load distribution system is Lscribed that executes on, a homogeneous network of Silicon Gmphics workstatzons. Initial experiments indicate this ap roach shows promise in enabling e cient execution of &me Warp programs ”in backgroung on distributed computing platforms.