Suppose m≥2 identical processors, each subject to random failures, are available for running a single job of given duration τ. The failure law is operative only while a processor is active. To guard against the loss of accrued work due to a failure, checkpoints can be made, each requiring time δ; a successful checkpoint saves the state of the computation, but failures can also occur during checkpoints. The problem is to determine how best to schedule checkpoints if the goal is to maximize the probability that the job finishes before all m processors fail.
展开▼
