Communication-Critical Task Duplication for Cloud Workflow Scheduling with Time and Budget Concerns

scientific workflows are suitable models in many applications for recognition and execution of tasks in parallel, especially in the Cloud. Different aspects of resource provisioning and the resource pricing model in the cloud environment cause the scheduling problem of workflow very complex. One of the main aims of the scheduling algorithms is to satisfy the users’ different quality of service requirements. Communication delay between tasks is an important affecting factor in optimal scheduling of workflows. It can also highly increase the cost of workflow scheduling if proper actions are not taken. To solve this problem, we propose a tasks duplication-based list scheduling algorithm called Communication-Critical Task Duplication (CCTD). We first define the concept of communication critical task (CCT) for a workflow. Then, by presenting a ranking-based approach, we identify communication critical tasks in a workflow as well as duplicating candidates. Task duplication in idle time slots of leased virtual machines which their children tasks are mapped to. This idea, while eliminating the cost and time of data transfer between parent-child tasks, reduces the time of execution of tasks and effectively uses leased time intervals of resources. According to the proposed scheduling algorithm, a new heuristic method has been proposed for the budget distribution. This method distribute overall budget to tasks in proportional to the workload and duplication rank of each task. The proposed algorithm was evaluated and verified using four well-known scientific workflows. The simulation results show that the CCTD algorithm, while respecting the user budget constraint, reduces the workflow overall completion time.