Online Algorithms for a Generalized Parallel Machine Scheduling Problem

TL;DR

This paper investigates online algorithms for a generalized parallel machine scheduling problem, extending classical models to include multi-task jobs, and evaluates their performance through heuristic algorithms and computational experiments.

Contribution

It introduces and compares heuristic online algorithms for a generalized scheduling problem that extends classical parallel machine scheduling to multi-task jobs.

Findings

Heuristic algorithms perform effectively in the generalized setting.

Comparison shows trade-offs between different heuristics.

The problem generalizes classical scheduling with multi-task jobs.

Abstract

We consider different online algorithms for a generalized scheduling problem for parallel machines, described in details in the first section. This problem is the generalization of the classical parallel machine scheduling problem, when the make-span is minimized; in that case each job contains only one task. On the other hand, the problem in consideration is still a special version of the workflow scheduling problem. We present several heuristic algorithms and compare them by computer tests.