A software environment for simulating distributed task-scheduling algorithms

Design and evaluation of task-scheduling algorithms in a distributed system are complex tasks for which few good tools exist. This paper describes DISMIMIC, a software environment for simulating distributed task-scheduling algorithms. DISMIMIC provides a basis of building toolbox to simplify the study of distributed task-scheduling algorithms. The design of DISMIMIC is highly modular and provides a system that can be configured and extended to simulate and evaluate different task-scheduling algorithms under different environments. It also allows the user to add and replace components to accommodate new simulation requirements. Our experience in using the environment for simulating representative scheduling algorithms demonstrates that the underlying mechanisms are easy to use and are flexible enough to support the simulation of a wide variety of algorithms.