Optimal static load balancing of multi-class jobs in a distributed computer system

This model is an extension of the Tantawi and Towsley (1985) single-job-class model as applied to a multiple-job-class model. Some properties of the optimal solution are shown. On the basis of these properties, a straightforward and efficient algorithm for optimal load balancing of multiclass jobs is derived. The performance of this algorithm is compared with that of two other well-known algorithms for multiclass jobs, the flow deviation (FD) algorithm and the Dafermos algorithm. The authors' algorithm and the FD algorithm both require a comparable amount of storage that is far less than that required by the Dafermos algorithm. Numerical experiments show that for obtaining the optimal solution the authors' algorithm and the Dafermos algorithm require comparable computation times that are far less than that of the FD algorithm