Tuning EASY-Backfilling Queues

International audienceEASY-Backfilling is a popular scheduling heuristic for allocating jobs in large scale High Performance Computing platforms. While its aggressive reservation mechanism is fast and prevents job starvation, it does not try to optimize any scheduling objective per se. We consider in this work the problem of tuning EASY using queue reordering policies. More precisely, we propose to tune the reordering using a simulation-based methodology. For a given system, we choose the policy in order to minimize the average waiting time. This methodology departs from the First-Come, First-Serve rule and introduces a risk on the maximum values of the waiting time, which we control using a queue thresholding mechanism. This new approach is evaluated through a comprehensive experimental campaign on five production logs. In particular, we show that the behavior of the systems under study is stable enough to learn a heuristic that generalizes in a train/test fashion. Indeed, the average waiting time can be reduced consistently (between 11% to 42% for the logs used) compared to EASY, with almost no increase in maximum waiting times. This work departs from previous learning-based approaches and shows that scheduling heuristics for HPC can be learned directly in a policy space

Adapting Batch Scheduling to Workload Characteristics: What can we expect From Online Learning?

Despite the impressive growth and size of super-computers, the computational power they provide still cannot match the demand. Efficient and fair resource allocation is a critical task. Super-computers use Resource and Job Management Systems to schedule applications, which is generally done by relying on generic index policies such as First Come First Served and Shortest Processing time First in combination with Backfilling strategies. Unfortunately, such generic policies often fail to exploit specific characteristics of real workloads. In this work, we focus on improving the performance of online schedulers. We study mixed policies, which are created by combining multiple job characteristics in a weighted linear expression, as opposed to classical pure policies which use only a single characteristic. This larger class of scheduling policies aims at providing more flexibility and adaptability. We use space coverage and black-box optimization techniques to explore this new space of mixed policies and we study how can they adapt to the changes in the workload. We perform an extensive experimental campaign through which we show that (1) even the best pure policy is far from optimal and that (2) using a carefully tuned mixed policy would allow to significantly improve the performance of the system. (3) We also provide empirical evidence that there is no one size fits all policy, by showing that the rapid workload evolution seems to prevent classical online learning algorithms from being effective.Malgré la croissance impressionnante et la taille des super-ordinateurs, le la puissance de calcul qu’ils fournissent ne peut toujours pas correspondre à la demande. Une allocation efficace et juste des ressources est essentielle tâche. Les super-ordinateurs utilisent des systèmes de gestion des ressources et des tâches pour programmer les applications, ce qui est généralement fait en s?appuyant sur des politiques d’index telles que First Come First Served et Shortest Temps de traitement D’abord en combinaison avec les stratégies de remblayage. Malheureusement, ces politiques génériques échouent souvent exploiter les caractéristiques spécifiques des charges de travail réelles. Dans ce travail, nous nous concentrons sur l’amélioration des performances des ordonnanceurs en ligne. Nous étudions des stratégies mixtes, créées en combinant plusieurs tâches caractéristiques dans une expression linéaire pondérée, par opposition à les politiques pures classiques qui n’utilisent qu’une seule caractéristique. Ce une plus grande classe de politiques de planification vise à offrir plus de flexibilité et adaptabilité. Nous utilisons la couverture d’espace et l’optimisation de la boîtenoire techniques pour explorer ce nouvel espace de politiques mixtes et nous étudions Comment peuvent-ils s’adapter aux changements de la charge de travail? Nous réalisons une vaste campagne expérimentale à travers laquelle nous montrons que (1) même la meilleure politique pure est loin d?être optimale et que (2) l?utilisation d?une politique mixte soigneusement adaptée permettrait de améliorer de manière significative les performances du système. (3) nous aussi fournir des preuves empiriques qu’il n’y a pas de politique uniforme, en montrant que l’évolution rapide de la charge de travail semble empêcher algorithmes classiques d’apprentissage en ligne d’être efficaces

Online Scheduling with Redirection for Parallel Jobs

International audienceAn important component of High Performance Computing (HPC) clusters is the job scheduling algorithm, which decides the allocation and the scheduling of the jobs in the system. Such scheduling algorithms need to be scalable to confront the growth both in size and in complexity of the modern clusters. We propose in this paper a new algorithm for scheduling parallel jobs with redirection. Specifically, our algorithm redirects the jobs whose execution affects significantly an important number of other jobs. A redirected job is stopped and restarted from the beginning in a dedicated part of the cluster. We show the effectiveness of our method through an intensive experimental campaign of simulations of production cluster log traces

Scheduling, Characterization and Prediction of HPC Workloads for Distributed Computing Environments

As High Performance Computing (HPC) has grown considerably and is expected to grow even more, effective resource management for distributed computing sys- tems is motivated more than ever. As the computational workloads grow in quantity, it is becoming more crucial to apply efficient resource management and workload scheduling to use resources efficiently while keeping the computational performance reasonably good. The problem of efficiently scheduling workloads on resources while meeting performance standards is hard. Additionally, non-clairvoyance of job dimen- sions makes resource management even harder in real-world scenarios. Our research methodology investigates the scheduling problem compliant for HPC and researches the challenges for deploying the scheduling in real world-scenarios using state of the art machine learning and data science techniques.To this end, this Ph.D. dissertation makes the following core contributions: a) We perform a theoretical analysis of space-sharing, non-preemptive scheduling: we studied this scheduling problem and proposed scheduling algorithms with polyno- mial computation time. We also proved constant upper-bounds for the performance of these algorithms. b) We studied the sensitivity of scheduling algorithms to the accuracy of runtime and devised a meta-learning approach to estimate prediction accuracy for newly submitted jobs to the HPC system. c) We studied the runtime prediction problem for HPC applications. For this purpose, we studied the distri- bution of available public workloads and proposed two different solutions that can predict multi-modal distributions: switching state-space models and Mixture Density Networks. d) We studied the effectiveness of recent recurrent neural network models for CPU usage trace prediction for individual VM traces as well as aggregate CPU usage traces. In this dissertation, we explore solutions to improve the performance of scheduling workloads on distributed systems.We begin by looking at the problem from the theoretical perspective. Modeling the problem mathematically, we first propose a scheduling algorithm that finds a constant approximation of the optimal solution for the problem in polynomial time. We prove that the performance of the algorithm (average completion time is the constant approximation of the performance of the optimal scheduling. We next look at the problem in real-world scenarios. Considering High-Performance Computing (HPC) workload computing environments as the most similar real-world equivalent of our mathematical model, we explore the problem of predicting application runtime. We propose an algorithm to handle the existing uncertainties in the real world and show-case our algorithm with demonstrative effectiveness in terms of response time and resource utilization. After looking at the uncertainty problem, we focus on trying to improve the accuracy of existing prediction approaches for HPC application runtime. We propose two solutions, one based on Kalman filters and one based on deep density mixture networks. We showcase the effectiveness of our prediction approaches by comparing with previous prediction approaches in terms of prediction accuracy and impact on improving scheduling performance. In the end, we focus on predicting resource usage for individual applications during their execution. We explore the application of recurrent neural networks for predicting resource usage of applications deployed on individual virtual machines. To validate our proposed models and solutions, we performed extensive trace-driven simulation and measured the effectiveness of our approaches

Etude d’applications émergentes en HPC et leurs impacts sur des stratégies d’ordonnancement

With the expected convergence between HPC, BigData and AI, newapplications with different profiles are coming to HPC infrastructures.We aim at better understanding the features and needs of theseapplications in order to be able to run them efficiently on HPC platforms.The approach followed is bottom-up: we study thoroughly an emergingapplication, Spatially Localized Atlas Network (SLANT, originating from the neuroscience community) to understand its behavior.Based on these observations, we derive a generic, yet simple, application model (namely, a linear sequence of stochastic jobs). We expect this model to be representative for a large set of upcoming applicationsthat require the computational power of HPC clusters without fitting the typical behavior oflarge-scale traditional applications.In a second step, we show how one can manipulate this generic model in a scheduling framework. Specifically we consider the problem of making reservations (both time andmemory) for an execution on an HPC platform.We derive solutions using the model of the first step of this work.We experimentally show the robustness of the model, even with very few data or with another application, to generate themodel, and provide performance gainsLa convergence entre les domaines du calcul haute-performance, du BigData et de l'intelligence artificiellefait émerger de nouveaux profils d'application sur les infrastructures HPC.Dans ce travail, nous proposons une étude de ces nouvelles applications afin de mieux comprendre leurs caractériques et besoinsdans le but d'optimiser leur exécution sur des plateformes HPC.Pour ce faire, nous adoptons une démarche ascendante. Premièrement, nous étudions en détail une application émergente, SLANT, provenant du domaine des neurosciences. Par un profilage détaillé de l'application, nous exposons ses principales caractéristiques ainsi que ses besoins en terme de ressources de calcul.A partir de ces observations, nous proposons un modèle d'application générique, pour le moment simple, composé d'une séquence linéaire de tâches stochastiques. Ce modèle devrait, selon nous, être adapté à une grande variété de ces applications émergentes qui requièrent la puissance de calcul des clusters HPC sans présenter le comportement typique des applications qui s'exécutent sur des machines à grande-échelle.Deuxièmement, nous montrons comment utiliser le modèle d'application générique dans le cadre du développement de stratégies d'ordonnancement. Plus précisément, nous nous intéressons à la conception de stratégies de réservations (à la fois en terme de temps de calcul et de mémoire).Nous proposons de telles solutions utilisant le modèle d'application générique exprimé dans la première étape de ce travail.Enfin, nous montrons la robustesse du modèle d'application et de nos stratégies d'ordonnancement au travers d'évaluations expérimentales de nos stratégies.Notamment, nous démontrons que nos solutions surpassent les approches standards de la communauté des neurosciences, même en cas de donnéespartielles ou d'extension à d'autres applications que SLANT

Profiles of upcoming HPC Applications and their Impact on Reservation Strategies

International audienceWith the expected convergence between HPC, BigData and AI, new applications with different profiles are coming to HPC infrastructures. We aim at better understanding the features and needs of these applications in order to be able to run them efficiently on HPC platforms. The approach followed is bottom-up: we study thoroughly an emerging application, Spatially Localized Atlas Network Tiles (SLANT, originating from the neuroscience community) to understand its behavior. Based on these observations, we derive a generic, yet simple, application model (namely, a linear sequence of stochastic jobs). We expect this model to be representative for a large set of upcoming applications from emerging fields that start to require the computational power of HPC clusters without fitting the typical behavior of large-scale traditional applications. In a second step, we show how one can use this generic model in a scheduling framework. Specifically we consider the problem of making reservations (both time and memory) for an execution on an HPC platform based on the application expected resource requirements. We derive solutions using the model provided by the first step of this work. We experimentally show the robustness of the model, even with very few data points or using another application, to generate the model, and provide performance gains with regards to standard and more recent approaches used in the neuroscience community

Power-Aware Job Dispatching in High Performance Computing Systems

This works deals with the power-aware job dispatching problem in supercomputers; broadly speaking the dispatching consists of assigning finite capacity resources to a set of activities, with a special concern toward power and energy efficient solutions. We introduce novel optimization approaches to address its multiple aspects. The proposed techniques have a broad application range but are aimed at applications in the field of High Performance Computing (HPC) systems. Devising a power-aware HPC job dispatcher is a complex, where contrasting goals must be satisfied. Furthermore, the online nature of the problem request that solutions must be computed in real time respecting stringent limits. This aspect historically discouraged the usage of exact methods and favouring instead the adoption of heuristic techniques. The application of optimization approaches to the dispatching task is still an unexplored area of research and can drastically improve the performance of HPC systems. In this work we tackle the job dispatching problem on a real HPC machine, the Eurora supercomputer hosted at the Cineca research center, Bologna. We propose a Constraint Programming (CP) model that outperforms the dispatching software currently in use. An essential element to take power-aware decisions during the job dispatching phase is the possibility to estimate jobs power consumptions before their execution. To this end, we applied Machine Learning techniques to create a prediction model that was trained and tested on the Euora supercomputer, showing a great prediction accuracy. Then we finally develop a power-aware solution, considering the same target machine, and we devise different approaches to solve the dispatching problem while curtailing the power consumption of the whole system under a given threshold. We proposed a heuristic technique and a CP/heuristic hybrid method, both able to solve practical size instances and outperform the current state-of-the-art techniques

Parallel optimization algorithms for high performance computing : application to thermal systems

The need of optimization is present in every field of engineering. Moreover, applications requiring a multidisciplinary approach in order to make a step forward are increasing. This leads to the need of solving complex optimization problems that exceed the capacity of human brain or intuition. A standard way of proceeding is to use evolutionary algorithms, among which genetic algorithms hold a prominent place. These are characterized by their robustness and versatility, as well as their high computational cost and low convergence speed. Many optimization packages are available under free software licenses and are representative of the current state of the art in optimization technology. However, the ability of optimization algorithms to adapt to massively parallel computers reaching satisfactory efficiency levels is still an open issue. Even packages suited for multilevel parallelism encounter difficulties when dealing with objective functions involving long and variable simulation times. This variability is common in Computational Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer (CFD & HT), nonlinear mechanics, etc. and is nowadays a dominant concern for large scale applications. Current research in improving the performance of evolutionary algorithms is mainly focused on developing new search algorithms. Nevertheless, there is a vast knowledge of sequential well-performing algorithmic suitable for being implemented in parallel computers. The gap to be covered is efficient parallelization. Moreover, advances in the research of both new search algorithms and efficient parallelization are additive, so that the enhancement of current state of the art optimization software can be accelerated if both fronts are tackled simultaneously. The motivation of this Doctoral Thesis is to make a step forward towards the successful integration of Optimization and High Performance Computing capabilities, which has the potential to boost technological development by providing better designs, shortening product development times and minimizing the required resources. After conducting a thorough state of the art study of the mathematical optimization techniques available to date, a generic mathematical optimization tool has been developed putting a special focus on the application of the library to the field of Computational Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer (CFD & HT). Then the main shortcomings of the standard parallelization strategies available for genetic algorithms and similar population-based optimization methods have been analyzed. Computational load imbalance has been identified to be the key point causing the degradation of the optimization algorithm¿s scalability (i.e. parallel efficiency) in case the average makespan of the batch of individuals is greater than the average time required by the optimizer for performing inter-processor communications. It occurs because processors are often unable to finish the evaluation of their queue of individuals simultaneously and need to be synchronized before the next batch of individuals is created. Consequently, the computational load imbalance is translated into idle time in some processors. Several load balancing algorithms have been proposed and exhaustively tested, being extendable to any other population-based optimization method that needs to synchronize all processors after the evaluation of each batch of individuals. Finally, a real-world engineering application that consists on optimizing the refrigeration system of a power electronic device has been presented as an illustrative example in which the use of the proposed load balancing algorithms is able to reduce the simulation time required by the optimization tool.El aumento de las aplicaciones que requieren de una aproximación multidisciplinar para poder avanzar se constata en todos los campos de la ingeniería, lo cual conlleva la necesidad de resolver problemas de optimización complejos que exceden la capacidad del cerebro humano o de la intuición. En estos casos es habitual el uso de algoritmos evolutivos, principalmente de los algoritmos genéticos, caracterizados por su robustez y versatilidad, así como por su gran coste computacional y baja velocidad de convergencia. La multitud de paquetes de optimización disponibles con licencias de software libre representan el estado del arte actual en tecnología de optimización. Sin embargo, la capacidad de adaptación de los algoritmos de optimización a ordenadores masivamente paralelos alcanzando niveles de eficiencia satisfactorios es todavía una tarea pendiente. Incluso los paquetes adaptados al paralelismo multinivel tienen dificultades para gestionar funciones objetivo que requieren de tiempos de simulación largos y variables. Esta variabilidad es común en la Dinámica de Fluidos Computacional y la Transferencia de Calor (CFD & HT), mecánica no lineal, etc. y es una de las principales preocupaciones en aplicaciones a gran escala a día de hoy. La investigación actual que tiene por objetivo la mejora del rendimiento de los algoritmos evolutivos está enfocada principalmente al desarrollo de nuevos algoritmos de búsqueda. Sin embargo, ya se conoce una gran variedad de algoritmos secuenciales apropiados para su implementación en ordenadores paralelos. La tarea pendiente es conseguir una paralelización eficiente. Además, los avances en la investigación de nuevos algoritmos de búsqueda y la paralelización son aditivos, por lo que el proceso de mejora del software de optimización actual se verá incrementada si se atacan ambos frentes simultáneamente. La motivación de esta Tesis Doctoral es avanzar hacia una integración completa de las capacidades de Optimización y Computación de Alto Rendimiento para así impulsar el desarrollo tecnológico proporcionando mejores diseños, acortando los tiempos de desarrollo del producto y minimizando los recursos necesarios. Tras un exhaustivo estudio del estado del arte de las técnicas de optimización matemática disponibles a día de hoy, se ha diseñado una librería de optimización orientada al campo de la Dinámica de Fluidos Computacional y la Transferencia de Calor (CFD & HT). A continuación se han analizado las principales limitaciones de las estrategias de paralelización disponibles para algoritmos genéticos y otros métodos de optimización basados en poblaciones. En el caso en que el tiempo de evaluación medio de la tanda de individuos sea mayor que el tiempo medio que necesita el optimizador para llevar a cabo comunicaciones entre procesadores, se ha detectado que la causa principal de la degradación de la escalabilidad o eficiencia paralela del algoritmo de optimización es el desequilibrio de la carga computacional. El motivo es que a menudo los procesadores no terminan de evaluar su cola de individuos simultáneamente y deben sincronizarse antes de que se cree la siguiente tanda de individuos. Por consiguiente, el desequilibrio de la carga computacional se convierte en tiempo de inactividad en algunos procesadores. Se han propuesto y testado exhaustivamente varios algoritmos de equilibrado de carga aplicables a cualquier método de optimización basado en una población que necesite sincronizar los procesadores tras cada tanda de evaluaciones. Finalmente, se ha presentado como ejemplo ilustrativo un caso real de ingeniería que consiste en optimizar el sistema de refrigeración de un dispositivo de electrónica de potencia. En él queda demostrado que el uso de los algoritmos de equilibrado de carga computacional propuestos es capaz de reducir el tiempo de simulación que necesita la herramienta de optimización

Theory and Engineering of Scheduling Parallel Jobs

Scheduling is very important for an efficient utilization of modern parallel computing systems. In this thesis, four main research areas for scheduling are investigated: the interplay and distribution of decision makers, the efficient schedule computation, efficient scheduling for the memory hierarchy and energy-efficiency. The main result is a provably fast and efficient scheduling algorithm for malleable jobs. Experiments show the importance and possibilities of scheduling considering the memory hierarchy

Online Tuning of EASY-Backfilling using Queue Reordering Policies

International audienceThe EASY-FCFS heuristic is the basic building block of job scheduling policies in most parallel High Performance Computing platforms. Despite its simplicity, and the guarantee of no job starvation, it could still be improved on a per-system basis. Such tuning is difficult because of non-linearities in the scheduling process. The study conducted in this paper considers an online approach to the automatic tuning of the EASY heuristic for HPC platforms. More precisely, we consider the problem of selecting a reordering policy for the job queue under several feedback modes. We show via a comprehensive experimental validation on actual logs that periodic simulation of historical data can be used to recover existing in-hindsight results that allow to divide the average waiting time by almost 2. This results holds even when the simulator results are noisy. Moreover, we show that good performances can still be obtained without a simulator, under what is called bandit feedback - when we can only observe the performance of the algorithm that was picked on the live system. Indeed, a simple multi-armed bandit algorithm can reduce the average waiting time by 40 percent