Real-time optimization of distributed load balancing

The problem of optimizing the balancing of processing load originating at the various sites of a bus-interconnected set of heterogeneous processors is examined. The distributed load is assumed to be arbitrarily divisible with no particular affinity to any of the processing sites. Minimization of processing completion time is the objective of load redistribution via the limited communication capacity of the bus. The optimal amounts of load exchange among the sending and receiving processors are derived. Load transfer across the bus proceeds concurrently with load execution at the various sites. Absolute optimality can be achieved only if synchronization delay is eliminated through proper real-time delivery of communicated load. The optimal load transmission and delivery time-schedule is formulated in terms of the load transfer rates pertaining to each sending and receiving site. The available communication rate of the bus is partitioned among the site rates, which are found to be piece-wise constant functions of time.<>