Optimistic Parallel Simulation over Public Resource-Computing Infrastructures and Desktop Grids

Abstract

Issues concerning optimistic time management on public-resource computing infrastructures and desktop grids are explored. The master/worker (MW) approach used for these platforms calls for a rethinking of optimistic synchronization and the development of new mechanisms and protocols specific to this paradigm. Approaches to rollback, message cancellation, state management and state saving are described. Challenges specific to adapting optimism to this computing paradigm are discussed as well as optimizations and overhead reduction techniques. The impact of various key parallel discrete event simulation (PDES) application properties on performance of an optimistic MW implementation is evaluated using Aurora, a framework supporting PDES over desktop grids.