A Minimal Synchronization Overhead Affinity Scheduling Algorithm for Shared-Memory Multiprocessors

Abstract

In addition to load balancing and synchronization overhead, affinity is an important consideration for loop scheduling algorithms in modern multiprocessors. Algorithms based on affinity, like affinity scheduling (AFS), do perform better than dynamic algorithms, such as guided self-scheduling (GSS) and trapezoid self-scheduling (TSS). However, there is still room for improvement in affinity scheduling. This paper suggests a modification to AFS which combines the advantages of both GSS and AFS. Experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed modification.