A Mechanism for the Dynamic Construction of Clusters Using Active Networks

In this paper, we describe an active networks architecture for dynamically constructing [clusters of] clusters in response to user requests for computational service. Active network nodes (i.e. routers) match requests for computational service to offers of such service using recent access and usage pattern information to construct on-demand, wide-area clusters. By combining appropriate offers of service with knowledge of current (as well as predictions of future) processor load and network conditions, the system dynamically constructs clusters to cost-effectively meet user needs. The active networks approach exploits the fact that network devices are in an ideal position to decide which resources should be combined to build clusters in response to particular requests. This approach offers advantages in terms of anonymity of service (systems are unaware of one anothers' existence), scalability (scheduling is distributed across many network processors), fault tolerance (service is distributed so failures are recoverable and/or localized) and automatic localization (clusters are created as close to the requestor as possible). Keywords Active Networks, Clusters, Computational Grids, High Performance Computing, Resource Discovery and Allocation.