The purpose of this ontology is to present a vocabulary for characterizing and comparing problems and projects in the domain of Real-Time Distributed Resource Management in order to distinguish systems and approaches. In this document, the vocabulary is organized according to a top-level taxonomy as follows:
Vocabulary used for characterizing the problem being addressed and solved. Resource management problems occur in a great variety of contexts, each of which has developed its own specialized vocabulary for resource management. In order to compare problems arising in different contexts, the problems should be expressed, as much as possible, using common vocabulary terms.
Feature | Discussion |
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Increasing the problem size | This scale up feature generalizes increasing the number of constraints, resources and tasks. |
Increasing the number and complexity of tasks | Tasks are units of activity that must be performed by the resource manager. Each task requires the resource manager to solve a resource management problem. |
Increasing the number and complexity of resources | Resources are the entities being managed. |
Increasing the number and complexity of constraints | Constraints are requirements that govern how the resources can be managed. |
Increasing the size and complexity of action calculations | This is related to increasing the number and complexity of tasks. For some problems, it is useful to separate the domain actions from the resource management tasks. |
Increasing the number of processors | This is both an advantage and a disadvantage for resource management. Increasing the number of processors increases the amount of processing that is available for resource management. However, the processors are also resources that must be managed. |
Increasing the amount of (geographic) distribution | The geographical extent in which resources are being managed. |
Increasing the fault tolerance/graceful degradation | Fault tolerance measures the ability of the system to tolerate a specified number of failure points. A system possesses graceful degradation if it continues to function in the presence of failure points but with a lower level of quality. |
Tightening the time constraints | An alteration in the time constraints of the problem. This is related to increasing the number and complexity of constraints in general. |
Reducing the communication bandwidth | Processors and other communicating units in the system have lower communication bandwidth available for resource management. This is often a consequence of increasing geographic distribution. |
Increasing the communication latency | Processors and other communicating units in the system have higher communication latency. This is often a consequence of increasing geographic distribution. |
Loosening the coupling | Processors and other active units in the system are less tightly coupled. For example, instead of having a device directly coupled to a processor, the device must be controlled by sending and receiving messages over a communication link. |
Terminology for defining measures to evaluate the quality and performance of different approaches to the same resource management issue.
Vocabulary for characterizing techniques used to solve resource management problems.
System architectures that form the underlying framework within which one can define an approach to solving a resource management problem. An architecture is not a solution technique in itself, but it facilitates (and in some cases limits) the techniques that may be applied to solving a resource management problem.