Adaptive load distribution algorithm for resolving bursty workload

Most existing dynamic load distribution (LD) algorithms assume fairly stable task arrival pattern. With this assumption, single task assignments are adequate to provide reasonably good performance. They are, however, inadequate when tasks arrive in bursts. In this paper, we propose a LD algorithm based on batch task assignments. The algorithm is tailored to systems subject to bursty workload. The key of this algorithm is the dynamic negotiation on the amount of workload to be transferred between a sender-receiver pair. Dynamic negotiations ensure the algorithm's adaptive behavior, thus allow task congestions to be resolved quickly. Consequently, CPU utilization can be increased and average task response time reduced substantially. The dynamic negotiations are conducted by the GR Protocol, which also avoids processor thrashing and state waggling - two undesirable phenomena that commonly exist in LD algorithms.