Towards Scheduling Virtual Machines Based On Direct User Input

We propose a new approach to scheduling virtual machines (VMs) on a provider CPU that is unique in that is based around the use of direct user input. In our system, a user's VM is scheduled as a periodic real-time task. The user can instantaneously manipulate his VM's schedule using a joystick. An on-screen display illustrates the current schedule's cost and indicates when the user's desired schedule is impossible due to the schedules of other VMs or resource constraints. We report on a user study of our prototype system that reveals that even a naive user is capable of using the interface to our system to find a schedule that balances cost and the comfort of his VM. Good schedules are user- and application-dependent to a large extent, illustrating the benefits of user involvement.