A Load Distribution Facility on MachChin

With a network of workstations, load distribution strategies can be employed to better utilize resources. In practice, there is no single load distribution algorithm that outperforms all others in all cases. Therefore , it is desirable that diierent systems can use diierent load distribution algorithms. Even in the same system, the necessity of changing the load distribution algorithm may arise when the system connguration or other parameters, such as task types, are changed. Generally speaking, changing of load distribution algorithm is not easy since the scheduler running the algorithm is an operating system protected object. This paper presents the Distributed Scheduling Framework (DSF) | a load distribution facility on Mach, which allows various kinds of load distribution algorithms to be installed at user-level, and minimizes the eeorts needed with their implementation. The DSF thus provides a basis for experimentation with new load distribution algorithms, and allows such algorithms to be used to improve system performance as well.