Energy and performance-aware scheduling and shut-down models for efficient cloud-computing data centers.

This Doctoral Dissertation, presented as a set of research contributions, focuses on resource efficiency in data centers. This topic has been faced mainly by the development of several energy-efficiency, resource managing and scheduling policies, as well as the simulation tools required to test them in realistic cloud computing environments. Several models have been implemented in order to minimize energy consumption in Cloud Computing environments. Among them: a) Fifteen probabilistic and deterministic energy-policies which shut-down idle machines; b) Five energy-aware scheduling algorithms, including several genetic algorithm models; c) A Stackelberg game-based strategy which models the concurrency between opposite requirements of Cloud-Computing systems in order to dynamically apply the most optimal scheduling algorithms and energy-efficiency policies depending on the environment; and d) A productive analysis on the resource efficiency of several realistic cloud–computing environments. A novel simulation tool called SCORE, able to simulate several data-center sizes, machine heterogeneity, security levels, workload composition and patterns, scheduling strategies and energy-efficiency strategies, was developed in order to test these strategies in large-scale cloud-computing clusters. As results, more than fifty Key Performance Indicators (KPI) show that more than 20% of energy consumption can be reduced in realistic high-utilization environments when proper policies are employed.Esta Tesis Doctoral, que se presenta como compendio de artículos de investigación, se centra en la eficiencia en la utilización de los recursos en centros de datos de internet. Este problema ha sido abordado esencialmente desarrollando diferentes estrategias de eficiencia energética, gestión y distribución de recursos, así como todas las herramientas de simulación y análisis necesarias para su validación en entornos realistas de Cloud Computing. Numerosas estrategias han sido desarrolladas para minimizar el consumo energético en entornos de Cloud Computing. Entre ellos: 1. Quince políticas de eficiencia energética, tanto probabilísticas como deterministas, que apagan máquinas en estado de espera siempre que sea posible; 2. Cinco algoritmos de distribución de tareas que tienen en cuenta el consumo energético, incluyendo varios modelos de algoritmos genéticos; 3. Una estrategia basada en la teoría de juegos de Stackelberg que modela la competición entre diferentes partes de los centros de datos que tienen objetivos encontrados. Este modelo aplica dinámicamente las estrategias de distribución de tareas y las políticas de eficiencia energética dependiendo de las características del entorno; y 4. Un análisis productivo sobre la eficiencia en la utilización de recursos en numerosos escenarios de Cloud Computing. Una nueva herramienta de simulación llamada SCORE se ha desarrollado para analizar las estrategias antes mencionadas en clústers de Cloud Computing de grandes dimensiones. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que se puede conseguir un ahorro de energía superior al 20% en entornos realistas de alta utilización si se emplean las estrategias de eficiencia energética adecuadas. SCORE es open source y puede simular diferentes centros de datos con, entre otros muchos, los siguientes parámetros: Tamaño del centro de datos; heterogeneidad de los servidores; tipo, composición y patrones de carga de trabajo, estrategias de distribución de tareas y políticas de eficiencia energética, así como tres gestores de recursos centralizados: Monolítico, Two-level y Shared-state. Como resultados, esta herramienta de simulación arroja más de 50 Key Performance Indicators (KPI) de rendimiento general, de distribucin de tareas y de energía.Premio Extraordinario de Doctorado U

A fair-biased allocation of investment between economic sectors using social accounting matrix multiplier analysis

Economists have exploited the social accounting matrix in linear economic models to analyze the effect of some variables such as government spending, investment, and export on other economic indicators including total output, employment, household income, and economic growth. In this paper, the influence of investment injection on some economic indicators is analyzed. In addition, to gather different indicators in a general view, these economic indicators are applied as inputs and outputs in a data envelopment analysis model. Overall, to get to the best possible economic conditions, a fair revenue allocation method is used based on a data envelopment analysis model to determine each economic sector’s quota of investment. Next, a kind of fair-biased allocation method improving the economic conditions in comparison to the prior model is proposed. Finally, the whole process for Iran’s social accounting matrix and subsequent results are presented

Assessing Resource-Performance Trade-off of Natural Language Models using Data Envelopment Analysis

Natural language models are often summarized through a high-dimensional set of descriptive metrics including training corpus size, training time, the number of trainable parameters, inference times, and evaluation statistics that assess performance across tasks. The high dimensional nature of these metrics yields challenges with regard to objectively comparing models; in particular it is challenging to assess the trade-off models make between performance and resources (compute time, memory, etc.). We apply Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to this problem of assessing the resource-performance trade-off. DEA is a nonparametric method that measures productive efficiency of abstract units that consume one or more inputs and yield at least one output. We recast natural language models as units suitable for DEA, and we show that DEA can be used to create an effective framework for quantifying model performance and efficiency. A central feature of DEA is that it identifies a subset of models that live on an efficient frontier of performance. DEA is also scalable, having been applied to problems with thousands of units. We report empirical results of DEA applied to 14 different language models that have a variety of architectures, and we show that DEA can be used to identify a subset of models that effectively balance resource demands against performance.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure, Eval4NLP worksho

Contribution to the development of mathematical programming tools to assist decision-making in sustainability problems

L'activitat humana està excedint la capacitat de resposta de la Terra, el que pot tenir implicacions perjudicials per al futur benestar humà i del medi ambient. Sens dubte, severs canvis estructurals seran necessaris, el que exigeix prendre solucions eficaces davant els problemes emergents de sostenibilitat. En aquest context, aquesta tesi es centra en dues transformacions clau per re-connectar el desenvolupament humà amb el progrés sostenible: la "seguretat alimentària sostenible", desacoblant la intensificació agrícola de l'ús insostenible dels recursos; i el "model energètic sostenible", donant suport al canvi cap a una economia respectuosa amb el medi ambient. El marc metodològic consisteix a abordar diferents problemes mitjançant el desenvolupament d'eines sistemàtiques de programació matemàtica amb l'objectiu de donar suport a la presa de decisions i la formulació de polítiques conduents a la consecució del desenvolupament sostenible. Aquesta tesi doctoral inclou quatre contribucions principals en forma d'eines de decisió i suport de polítiques prou flexibles com per abordar diferents casos d'estudi. En primer lloc, es proposa una eina multiobjectiu per assignar àrees de cultiu considerant simultàniament criteris productius i mediambientals. En segon lloc, es proposa un model multiperíode per determinar plans de cultiu òptims i subsidis efectius per tal de promoure pràctiques agrícoles sostenibles. En tercer lloc, es proposa una metodologia per a analitzar la sostenibilitat que permet avaluar sistemes muticriteri i proporciona potencials millores d'acord amb els principis de la sostenibilitat. En quart lloc, es proposa un nou enfocament basat en l'optimització d'accions cooperatives amb l'objectiu de promoure i enfortir la cooperació internacional en la lluita contra el canvi climàtic La informació derivada de la investigació, com la presentada en aquesta tesi, pot tenir un paper fonamental en la transició cap a una nova era en la qual l'economia, la societat i el medi ambient coexisteixin com a pilars clau del desenvolupament sostenible.La actividades humanas están excediendo la capacidad de carga de la Tierra, lo que puede potencialmente generar implicaciones perjudiciales para el futuro bienestar humano y del medio ambiente. Sin duda son necesarios profundos cambios estructurales, lo que exige tomar soluciones eficaces ante los problemas emergentes de sostenibilidad. En este contexto, esta tesis se centra en dos transformaciones clave para reconectar el desarrollo humano con el progreso sostenible: la "seguridad alimentaria sostenible", desacoplando la intensificación agrícola del uso insostenible de los recursos; y el " modelo energético sostenible", apoyando el cambio hacia una economía respetuosa con el medio ambiente. El marco metodológico consiste en abordar distintos problemas mediante el desarrollo de herramientas sistemáticas de programación matemática cuyo objetivo es apoyar la toma de decisiones y la formulación de políticas tendentes hacia la consecución del desarrollo sostenible. La tesis incluye cuatro contribuciones principales en forma de herramientas de decisión y apoyo de políticas suficientemente flexibles para abordar diferentes casos de estudio. En primer lugar, se propone una herramienta multiobjetivo para asignar áreas de cultivo considerando simultáneamente criterios productivos y medioambientales. En segundo, se propone un modelo multiperiodo para determinar planes de cultivo óptimos y subsidios efectivos con el fin de promover prácticas agrícolas sostenibles. En tercero, se propone una metodología para realizar análisis de sostenibilidad que permite evaluar sistemas muticriterio y proporciona potenciales mejoras de acuerdo con principios de sostenibilidad. En cuarto lugar, se propone un nuevo enfoque basado en la optimización de acciones cooperativas con el objetivo de promover y fortalecer la cooperación internacional en la lucha contra el cambio climático La información derivada de la investigación, como la presentada en esta tesis, puede desempeñar un papel fundamental en la transición hacia una nueva era en la que la economía, la sociedad y el medio ambiente coexistan como pilares clave del desarrollo sostenible.Impacts from human activities are exceeding the Earth’s carrying capacity, which may lead to irreversible changes posing a serious threat to future human well-being and the environment. There is no doubt that an urgent shift is needed for sustainability, which calls for effective solutions when facing ongoing and emerging sustainability challenges. Against this background, this thesis focuses on two key structural transformations needed to reconnect the human development to sustained progress: the “food security transformation”, through decoupling the intensification of agricultural production from unsustainable use of resources; and the “clean energy transformation”, supporting the transition towards a more environmentally friendly economy. Methodologically, different sustainability issues are tackled by developing systematic mathematical programming tools aiming at supporting sustainable decision and policy-making which ultimately will lead to the development of more efficient mechanisms to foster a sustainable development. This thesis includes four major contributions in the form of decision and policy- support tools which are flexible and practical enough to address different case studies towards a more sustainable agriculture and energy future. First, a multi-objective tool is proposed which allows allocating cropping areas simultaneously maximizing the production and minimizing the environmental impact on ecosystems and resources. Second, a multi-period model is proposed which allows determining optimal cropping plans and effective subsidies to promote agricultural practices beneficial to the climate and the environment. Third, a novel methodology tailored to perform sustainability assessments is proposed which allows evaluating multi-criterion systems and providing improvements targets for such systems according to sustainability principles. Fourth, an optimised cooperative approach is proposed to promote and strengthen international cooperation in the fight against climate change. Research-based work as the one proposed herein may play a major role in the transition towards a new era where the economy, society and the environment coexist as key pillars of sustainable development

Sustainable and agile manufacturing outsourcing partner selection: a literature review

[EN] Outsourcing to third party to manage non-core activities helps the firm to focus on core activities. Manufacturing firms are outsourcing product development, manufacturing, logistics, customer care etc. to enhance production capacity and flexibility, and to reduce operational costs, which in turn can improve profitability and competitive advantage of the enterprise. Sustainability in operations and supply chain is gaining momentum due to increased global environmental concern, pressures from consumers and communities, and enforced regulations. Volatile and uncertain business environment necessitates the adoption of agility and flexibility to effectively manage manufacturing and supply chain. Globalisation has made the market very competitive and hence manufacturing firms are adopting manufacturing outsourcing to third parties. Selecting a sustainable and agile manufacturing outsourcing partner (MPS) is crucial as it will improve sustainability, efficiency, and effectiveness of the supply chain and competitive advantage to the firm. Detailed literature review on sustainable and agile manufacturing outsourcing partner selection has been carried out from EBSCO data base and Goggle scholar. Selection criteria used are classified into agile, operational, economic, environmental and social. The techniques use are mostly multi criteria decision making methods (MCDM) while few have adopted programming techniques. Discussion, implication and the scope of future work is also provided.Akhtar, M. (2022). Sustainable and agile manufacturing outsourcing partner selection: a literature review. International Journal of Production Management and Engineering. 10(2):143-158. https://doi.org/10.4995/ijpme.2022.1680714315810

Does Basel compliance matter for bank performance?

The global financial crisis underscored the importance of regulation and supervision to a well-functioning banking system that efficiently channels financial resources into investment. In this paper, we contribute to the ongoing policy debate by assessing whether compliance with international regulatory standards and protocols enhances bank operating efficiency. We focus specifically on the adoption of international capital standards and the Basel Core Principles for Effective Bank Supervision (BCP). The relationship between bank efficiency and regulatory compliance is investigated using the Simar and Wilson (2007. J. Econ. 136 (1), 31) double bootstrapping approach on an international sample of publicly listed banks. Our results indicate that overall BCP compliance, or indeed compliance with any of its individual chapters, has no association with bank efficiency

Improving the management of an IT department by using a new developed computer application

This work has been developed outside of office hours, in combination with the work of IT Analyst and Project Manager in Philip Morris SA (Switzerland). The dissertation seeks solutions to real-life problems, specifically associated with the daily challenges faced by the managers and team members of the Information Technology department. It was acknowledged the need to enhance the management and assignment of tasks and projects to the team members, where the major issue resided on the understanding of the constraints affecting the work allocation and workload management. To solve the mentioned hurdles, it was needed to develop an appropriate tool, matching the specific needs while being economically efficient and easy to operate. The management was involved in various sharing sessions, allowing the work to be developed in line with the genuine pain-points and to be built accordingly to the needs and expectations of the end-users. The SWOT analysis and the Ishikawa diagram played an important role in the delimitation of the challenges and on documenting the improvement possibilities. Firstly, the problem assessment was done, then it was time to review the literature, searching for the core values and best practices in Project Management. Later, there was an extensive review of the Resources Allocation subject, by concept and objectives, and as a tool to efficiently merging the specificities of the resources and activities while considering an extensive group of constraints. Then, it was done a broad attempt to combine the concepts of the Manager as a human and a servant leader with a focus on team success, with the usage of Resources Allocation tools as indispensable instruments for the success of any Project. Later, the work arrives at its core, with the development of the Allocation Algorithm and the MS Excel® program that allows the Managers to properly register and assign the Projects and Tasks, considering the specificities and constraints in place. The developed tools have been validated and utilized by Managers while performing their daily management routines. The most relevant improvements indicated by the end-users have been, the centralization and availability of the information, the rapidity of new activities’ assignment, and the benefit of having a unified status tool that takes into consideration the team specificities. In the literature, there are different approaches related to the resources’ allocation and project management issues and challenges. However, many of the Researchers never left the concept development stage and several of them have only proposed theoretical approaches. In this work, more than build an algorithm and a program with a straightforward approach to the management challenges, it was prioritized the practicality of the model and the development of a purposeful tool – allowing the ideas to get off paper, implementing the tool and as result, effectively improving the management of activities and the human resources allocation.Este trabalho foi desenvolvido fora do horário de trabalho, em harmonia com o trabalho de Analista IT e Gestor de Projeto na Philip Morris SA (Suíça). Esta dissertação procura encontrar soluções para problemas de gestão, especificamente para os desafios relativos ao trabalho diário dos gestores e membros de equipa do Departamento de Tecnologias da Informação. Assim, foi considerada a necessidade de melhorar o sistema de gestão de tarefas e projetos. Um dos desafios foi compreender as restrições que afetam uma boa gestão e alocação de tarefas, sendo necessário desenvolver uma ferramenta que seja economicamente eficiente e fácil de utilizar. Os gestores foram envolvidos em várias sessões de partilha, permitindo que o trabalho fosse desenvolvido em linha com as necessidades reais e tendo em conta as expetativas dos utilizadores finais da ferramenta. A utilização da análise SWOT e do diagrama de Ishikawa foram muito importantes para delimitar o problema e para definir as oportunidades de melhoria. Primeiramente foi definido o problema, depois foi feita uma revisão da literatura, investigando os valores e os bons princípios da Gestão de Projetos. Seguidamente, foi feita uma revisão sobre a Alocação de Recursos, considerando a base teórica e a aplicabilidade na gestão e alocação de tarefas e de recursos humanos. Paralelamente foi feita uma análise sobre como conjugar o conceito do gestor como humano e líder, e o seu papel no sucesso dos projetos. Foi também analisada a importância das ferramentas na gestão de qualquer projeto. Mais tarde, o trabalho chega ao seu âmago, com o desenvolvimento do Algoritmo de Alocação e do programa MS Excel®, ambos permitindo uma fácil e eficiente alocação de projetos e tarefas por parte dos responsáveis, considerando as restrições e as necessidades da empresa. O desenvolvimento do algoritmo e do programa foi feito em concordância com a gestão, garantindo dessa forma o alinhamento ideal entre o desenvolvimento e as necessidades reais. Os gestores indicaram como benefícios, a forma correta e fácil de associar atividades aos colaboradores, a centralização e qualidade da informação disponibilizada, e ainda a garantia de usar uma ferramenta que considera as especificidades da equipa e os projetos do departamento. Na literatura existem várias abordagens relativas aos desafios da alocação de recursos e da gestão de projetos. Contudo, muitos dos investigadores ficam apenas pela fase do conceito, e muitos apresentam apenas hipóteses e soluções teóricas. Neste trabalho, procurou-se desenvolver um algoritmo e um programa de utilização simples, colocando o funcionalismo e aplicabilidade como prioridades – permitindo que as ideias saíssem do papel, garantindo a implementação da solução e criando melhorias reais em termos de gestão de atividades e gestão de recursos humanos