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An analysis method for variable execution time tasks based on histograms

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Abstract

Real-time analysis methods are usually based on worst-case execution times (WCET). This leads to pessimistic results and poor resource utilisation when applied to highly variable execution time tasks. This paper proposes a discrete statistical description of task execution times, known as histograms. The proposed characterisation facilitates a powerful analytical method which offers a statistical distribution of task response times. The analysis enables workloads to be studied with a utilisation higher than 1 during transient overloads. System behaviour is shown to be a stochastic process that converges to steady state probability distribution when the average utilisation is lower or equal to 1. The paper shows that workload isolation is a desirable property of scheduling algorithms which greatly aids analysis and makes it algorithm independent. The alternative, when workload isolation cannot be assumed, is the so-called interference method, which is also introduced for the case of GPS (Generalised Processor Sharing) algorithms. As an example, the proposed method is evaluated using network routers and real traffic traces. The obtained results are compared to alternative analysis methods based on solving queueing systems (M/D/1/N) analytically.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Informática de Sistemas y Computadores, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera, S/N, Valencia, Spain

    Joan Vila-Carbó & Enrique Hernández-Orallo

Authors
  1. Joan Vila-Carbó
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  2. Enrique Hernández-Orallo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joan Vila-Carbó.

Additional information

This work was developed under a grant from the Spanish Government CICYT TIC2005-08665-C03 and E.U. FRESCOR-FP6/2005/IST/5-034026.

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Vila-Carbó, J., Hernández-Orallo, E. An analysis method for variable execution time tasks based on histograms. Real-Time Syst 38, 1–37 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11241-007-9033-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11241-007-9033-2

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