Load sharing has been the focus of a great deal of research as a means of enhancing the performance of distributed systems. In this paper we evaluate the potential benefits of load sharing in hierarchical distibuted systems. A hierarchical system consists of sub-systems, each of which is a distributed system in its own right. Our goal is to determine the level(s) at which load sharing may be exercised to improve the system performance at minimum overhead. Our simulation results indicate that most of the potential benefits can be achieved by employing load sharing locally. The additional benefit gained from global load sharing is minimal and does not justify the cost associated with it.
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