Research Article
Fairness considerations of scheduling in multi-server and multi-queue systems
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.1145/1190095.1190145, author={David Raz and Benjamin Avi-Itzhak and Hanoch Levy}, title={Fairness considerations of scheduling in multi-server and multi-queue systems}, proceedings={1st International ICST Conference on Performance Evaluation Methodologies and Tools}, publisher={ACM}, proceedings_a={VALUETOOLS}, year={2012}, month={4}, keywords={Fairness FCFS Multi-Server Multi-Queue Job Scheduling Resource Allocation Unfairness}, doi={10.1145/1190095.1190145} }- David Raz
Benjamin Avi-Itzhak
Hanoch Levy
Year: 2012
Fairness considerations of scheduling in multi-server and multi-queue systems
VALUETOOLS
ACM
DOI: 10.1145/1190095.1190145
Abstract
Multi-server and multi-queue architectures are common mechanisms used in a large variety of applications (call centers, Web services, computer systems). One of the major motivations behind common queue operation strategies is to grant fair service to the jobs (customers). Such systems have been thoroughly studied by Queueing Theory from their performance (delay distribution) perspective. However, their fairness aspects have hardly been studied and have not been quantified to date. In this work we use the Resource Allocation Queueing Fairness Measure (RAQFM) to quantitatively analyze several multi-server systems and operational mechanisms. The results yield the relative fairness of the mechanisms as a function of the system configuration and parameters. Practitioners can use these results to quantitatively account for system fairness and to weigh efficiency aspects versus fairness aspects in designing and controlling their queueing systems. In particular, we quantitatively demonstrate that: 1) Joining the shortest queue increases fairness, 2) A single "combined" queue system is more fair than "separate" (multi) queue system and 3) Jockeying from the head of a queue is more fair than jockeying from its tail.