Resource Allocation in Federated Distributed Computing Infrastructures

Abstract

Introduction We consider the problem of allocating combinations of heterogeneous, distributed resources among selfinterested parties. In particular, we consider this problem in the context of distributed computing infrastructures, where resources are shared among users from di#erent administrative domains. Examples of such infrastructures include PlanetLab [15] and computational grids [7]. End-users derive utility from receiving a share of resources. When there is an excess demand for resources, it isn't possible to completely satisfy all resource requests. Therefore, we argue that it is important for these infrastructures to allocate resources in a way that maximizes aggregate end-user utility. Such an allocation system is known as economically e#cient. Because a user's utility function for resources isn't typically known a priori, determining an allocation policy to maximize utility is di#cult in the presence of excess demand. As use of these infrastructures becomes more widespread