language: en

Design-to-time Real-Time Scheduling

Alan Garvey Victor Lesser
Department of Computer Science University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
CSNET: GARVEY@CS.UMASS.EDU April 14, 1994

Abstract Design-to-time is an approach to problem-solving in resource-constrained domains where: multiple solution methods are available for tasks, those solution methods make tradeoffs in solution quality versus time, and satisficing solutions are acceptable. Design-to-time involves designing a solution to a problem that uses all available resources to maximize the solution quality within the available time. This paper defines the design-to-time approach in detail, contrasting it to the anytime algorithm approach, and presents a heuristic algorithm for design-to-time real-time scheduling. Our blackboard architecture that implements the design-to-time approach is discussed and an example problem and solution from the Distributed Vehicle Monitoring Testbed (DVMT) is described in detail. Experimental results, generated using a simulation, show the effects of various parameters on scheduler performance. Finally we discuss future research goals and plans.

[1 This work was partly supported by the Office of Naval Research under a University Research Initiative]