Quality of service and scientific workflows

摘要

The advent of high-performance computing engines and networks is bringing serious numerical and problem-solving environments (PSEs) closer to a broad base of users with widely differing needs. From the perspective of these users, a key issue will be the quality of service (QoS) PSEs offer. In the broader sense, QoS includes parameters such as network delays and throughput, as well as end-user quality factors such as system availability, system functionality, content quality, and semantic interoperability. In order to facilitate integration of the QoS and PSE we introduce scientific workflows, to mean a series of structured activities and computations that arise in scientific problem-solving. Scientific workflows are expected to coexist and cooperate with other user workflows (e.g., business workflows, educational workflows, legislative workflows). As such they must support compatible QoS.