Recently there has been a growing interest in the use of Low Rate Wireless Personal Area Networks (LR-WPAN) [1] driven by the large number of emerging applications such as home automation, health-care monitoring and environmental surveillance. To fulfill the needs for these emerging applications, IEEE has created a new standard called IEEE 802.15.4 for LR-WPAN, which has been widely accepted as the de facto standard for wireless sensor networks. Unlike IEEE 802.11 [2], which was designed for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), it focuses on short range wireless communications. The goal of the IEEE 802.15.4 LR-WPAN is to support low data rate connectivity among wireless sensors with low complexity, cost and power consumption [3]. It specifies two types of network topologies, which are the beacon-enabled start network and the nonbeacon-enabled peer-to-peer network. For the beacon-enabled network, it defines the Guaranteed Time Slot (GTS) to provide real-time guaranteed service for delay-sensitive applications. In the nonbeacon-enabled network the GTS is reserved time slots such that it is requested, allocated and scheduled to wireless sensors that need guaranteed service for delay-sensitive applications. Existing GTS scheduling algorithms include First-Come-First-Served (FCFS) [1], priority-based [4] and Earliest Deadline First (EDF) [5] methods. Such FCFS and priority-based scheduling methods have critical drawbacks in achieving real-time guarantees. Namely, they fail to satisfy the delay constraints of delay-sensitive transactions. Further, they lead to GTS scarcity and GTS underutilization. On the other hand, the EDF-based scheduling method provides delay guarantee while it does not support delay-sensitive applications where arrival of the first packet has a critical impact on the performance. To solve these problems, we design the optimal work-conserving GTS Allocation and Scheduling (GAS) algorithm that provides guarantee service for delay-sensitive applications in beacon-enabled networks. Not only does the GAS satisfy the delay constraints of transactions, but also it reduces GTS scarcity and GTS underutilization. Further, it supports delay-sensitive applications where arrival of the first packet has a critical impact on the performance. Through the extensive simulation results, we show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the existing scheduling methods. Our algorithm differs from the existing ones in that it is an on-line scheduling and allocation algorithm and allows transmissions of bursty and periodic transactions with delay constraints even when the network is overloaded. In the nonbeacon-enabled peer-to-peer network some operating scenarios for rate-sensitive applications arise when one considers wireless video surveillance and target detection applications for wireless sensor networks. To support such rate-sensitive applications in wireless sensor networks, we present a Multirate-based Service Differentiation (MSD) operating in the nonbeacon-enabled peer-to-peer network. Unlike existing priority-based service differentiation models, the MSD defines the independent Virtual Medium Access Controls (VMACs), each of which consists of a transmission queue and the Adaptive Backoff Window Control (ABWC). Since the VMACs serve multiple rate-sensitive flows, it is possible that more than one data frame is collided with each other when their backoff times expire simultaneously. To solve such a virtual collision in the virtual collision domain, we design the Virtual Collision Avoidance Control (VCAC). The ABWC component adjusts the backoff window to reflect the local network state in the local collision domain. The VCAC component prevents virtual collisions and preempts packets with the minimal cost in the virtual collision domain. By analyzing these algorithms, we prove that the ABWC component enables the achieved data rate to converge to the rate requirement and the VCAC component produces a virtual-collision-free schedule to avoid degradation of the achieved data rate. Through the simulation, we validate our analysis and show the MSD outperforms existing algorithms. / Ph. D.

In this dissertation, we consider the problem of scheduling and synchronization of distributable real-time threads --- Real-Time CORBA's first-class abstraction for programming real-time, multi-node sequential behaviors. Distributable real-time threads can be scheduled, broadly, using two paradigms: node independent scheduling, in which nodes independently construct thread schedules, based on node-level decomposition of distributable thread (or DT) scheduling parameters, and collaborative scheduling, in which nodes collaborate to construct system-wide thread schedules, which may or may not involve scheduling parameter decomposition. While significant literature exists on node independent scheduling, little is known about collaborative scheduling and its concomitant tradeoffs. We design three collaborative scheduling algorithms, called ACUA, QBUA, and DQBUA. ACUA uses theory of consensus and QBUA uses theory of quorums for distributable thread schedule construction. DQBUA extends QBUA with lock-based, local and distributed concurrency control. The algorithms consider a model where distributable threads arrive arbitrarily, have time/utility function time constraints, access resources in an arbitrary way (e.g., arbitrary lock acquire/release order, arbitrary nestings), and are subject to arbitrary node crash failures and message losses. We analytically establish several properties of the algorithms including probabilistic end-to-end termination time satisfactions, timeliness optimality during underloads, bounded exception handling time, and correctness of the algorithms in partially synchronous systems. We implement distributable real-time threads in the Linux kernel as a first-class programming and scheduling abstraction. The resulting kernel, called ChronOS, provides application interfaces for creating and manipulating distributable threads, as well as kernel interfaces and mechanisms for scheduling them (using both independent and collaborative approaches). ChronOS also has failure detector mechanisms for detecting and recovering from distributable thread failures. We implement the proposed scheduling algorithms and their competitors in ChronOS and compare their behavior. Our studies reveal that the collaborative scheduling algorithms are superior to independent scheduling algorithms for certain thread sets, in particular, when thread sections have significantly varying execution time. This variability, especially if the variability is not consistent among the threads, may cause each node to make conflicting decisions in the absence of global information. We observe that collaborative schedulers outperform independent schedulers (e.g., EDF augmented with PIP) in terms of accrued utility by as much as 75%. We identify distributed dependencies as one of the major sources of overhead in collaborative scheduling. In particular, the cost of distributed lock-based concurrency control (e.g., lock management, distributed deadlock detection/resolution) can significantly reduce the problem space for which collaborative scheduling is beneficial. To mitigate this, we consider the use of software transactional memory (or STM), an optimistic, non-blocking synchronization alternative to lock-based concurrency control which has been extensively studied in non real-time contexts. We consider distributable real-time threads with STM concurrency control, and develop techniques for analyzing and bounding their end-to-end response times on distributed single-processor and distributed multiprocessor systems. We also develop contention management techniques, a key component of STM, which are driven by threads' real-time scheduling parameters, and establish their tradeoffs against non-real-time contention managers. / Ph. D.

This dissertation first presents an uniprocessor real-time scheduling algorithm called the Generic Benefit Scheduling algorithm (or GBS). GBS solves a previously open real-time scheduling problem: scheduling activities subject to arbitrarily shaped, time/utility function (TUF) time constraints and mutual exclusion resource constraints. A TUF specifies the utility of completing an application activity as an application- or situation-specific function of when that activity completes. GBS considers the scheduling objective of maximizing system-wide, total accrued utility, while respecting mutual exclusion constraints. Since this problem is NP-hard, GBS heuristically computes schedules in polynomial-time. The performance of the GBS algorithm is evaluated through simulation and through an implementation on a Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX)-compliant real-time operating system. The simulation studies and implementation measurements reveal that GBS performs close to, if not better than existing algorithms for the cases that they apply. Further, the results verify the effectiveness of GBS for its unique model. We also analytically establish timeliness and non-timeliness properties of GBS including bounds on activity utilities and mutual exclusion. GBS targets real-time systems that are subject to significant non-determinism inherent in their operating environments e.g., completely unknown activity arrivals. When system uncertainties can be stochastically characterized (e.g., stochastic activity arrivals and execution times), it is possible to provide stochastic assurances on timeliness behavior. The dissertation also presents algorithmic solutions to fundamental assurance problems in TUF-driven real-time systems, including stochastically satisfying individual, activity utility lower bounds and system-wide, total utility lower bounds. The algorithmic solutions include algorithms for processor bandwidth allocation and TUF scheduling. While bandwidth allocation algorithms allocate processor bandwidth share to activities to satisfy utility lower bounds, TUF scheduling algorithms schedule activities to maximize accrued utility. The algorithmic solutions and analysis are extended with a class of lock-free and lock-based resource access protocols to satisfy mutual exclusion constraints. We show that satisfying utility lower bounds with lock-based resource access protocols does not imply doing so with the lock-free scheme, and vice versa. Finally, the dissertation presents a rule-based framework for trading off assurance requirements on utility lower bound satisfaction. / Ph. D.

We consider the problem of scheduling real-time tasks on a multiprocessor system. Our primary focus is scheduling on multiprocessor systems where the total task utilization demand, U, is greater than m, the number of processors on a multiprocessor system---i.e., the total available processing capacity of the system. When U > m, the system is said to be overloaded; otherwise, the system is said to be underloaded. While significant literature exists on multiprocessor real-time scheduling during underloads, little is known about scheduling during overloads, in particular, in the presence of task dependencies---e.g., due to synchronization constraints. We consider real-time tasks that are subject to time/utility function (or TUF) time constraints, which allow task urgency to be expressed independently of task importance---e.g., the most urgent task being the least important. The urgency/importance decoupling allowed by TUFs is especially important during overloads, when not all tasks can be optimally completed. We consider the timeliness optimization objective of maximizing the total accrued utility and the number of deadlines satisfied during overloads, while ensuring task mutual exclusion constraints and freedom from deadlocks. This problem is NP-hard. We develop a class of polynomial-time heuristic algorithms, called the Global Utility Accrual (or GUA) class of algorithms. The algorithms construct a directed acyclic graph representation of the task dependency relationship, and build a global multiprocessor schedule of the zero in-degree tasks to heuristically maximize the total accrued utility and ensure mutual exclusion. Potential deadlocks are detected through a cycle-detection algorithm, and resolved by aborting a task in the deadlock cycle. The GUA class of algorithms include two algorithms, namely, the Non-Greedy Global Utility Accrual (or NG-GUA) and Greedy Global Utility Accrual (or G-GUA) algorithms. NG-GUA and G-GUA differ in the way schedules are constructed towards meeting all task deadlines, when possible to do so. We establish several properties of the algorithms including conditions under which all task deadlines are met, satisfaction of mutual exclusion constraints, and deadlock-freedom. We create a Linux-based real-time kernel called ChronOS for multiprocessors. ChronOS is extended from the PREEMPT_RT real-time Linux patch, which provides optimized interrupt service latencies and real-time locking primitives. ChronOS provides a scheduling framework for the implementation of a broad range of real-time scheduling algorithms, including utility accrual, non-utility accrual, global, and partitioned scheduling algorithms. We implement the GUA class of algorithms and their competitors in ChronOS and conduct experimental studies. The competitors include G-EDF, G-NP-EDF, G-FIFO, gMUA, P-EDF and P-DASA. Our study reveals that the GUA class of algorithms accrue higher utility and satisfy greater number of deadlines than the deadline-based scheduling algorithms by as much as 750% and 600%, respectively. In addition, we observe that G-GUA accrues higher utility than NG-GUA during overloads by as much as 25% while NG-GUA satisfies greater number of deadlines than G-GUA by as much as 5% during underloads. / Master of Science

Today, many embedded or cyber-physical systems, e.g., in the automotive domain, comprise several control applications, sharing the same platform. It is well known that such resource sharing leads to complex temporal behaviors that degrades the quality of control, and more importantly, may even jeopardize stability in the worst case, if not properly taken into account. In this thesis, we consider embedded control or cyber-physical systems, where several control applications share the same processing unit. The focus is on the control-scheduling co-design problem, where the controller and scheduling parameters are jointly optimized. The fundamental difference between control applications and traditional embedded applications motivates the need for novel methodologies for the design and optimization of embedded control systems. This thesis is one more step towards correct design and optimization of embedded control systems. Offline and online methodologies for embedded control systems are covered in this thesis. The importance of considering both the expected control performance and stability is discussed and a control-scheduling co-design methodology is proposed to optimize control performance while guaranteeing stability. Orthogonal to this, bandwidth-efficient stabilizing control servers are proposed, which support compositionality, isolation, and resource-efficiency in design and co-design. Finally, we extend the scope of the proposed approach to non-periodic control schemes and address the challenges in sharing the platform with self-triggered controllers. In addition to offline methodologies, a novel online scheduling policy to stabilize control applications is proposed.

La migration récente des plateformes mono-cœur vers multi-cœur, dans le domaine automobile, révèle de grands changements dans le processus de développement du logiciel embarqué. Tout d’abord, les concepteurs de logiciel ont besoin de nouvelles méthodes leur permettant de combler le fossé entre la description des applications (versus Autosar) et le déploiement de tâches. Deuxièmement, l’utilisation du multi-cœur doit assurer la compatibilité avec les contraintes liées aux aspects temps-réel et à la Sûreté de fonctionnement. Au final, les développeurs ont besoins d’outils pour intégrer de nouveaux modules dans leur système multi-cœur. Confronter aux complexités ci-dessus, nous avons proposé une méthodologie afin de repartir, de manière optimale, les applications sous forme de partitions logiques. Nous avons ainsi intégré dans notre processus de développement, un outil de distribution des traitements d’un système embarqué sur différents processeurs et compatible avec le standard AUTOSAR (AUTomotive Open System ARchitecture). Les solutions de partitionnement traitent simultanément l’allocation des applications ainsi que la politique d’ordonnancement. Le périmètre d’étude du partitionnement est automatique, les solutions trouvées étant évaluées par nos fonctions de coût. Elles prennent aussi en compte des critères tels que, le coût de communication inter-cœur, l’équilibrage de la charge CPU entre les cœurs et la gigue globale. Pour la partie ordonnancement, nous présentons une formalisation des dépendances sous forme périodiques pour répondre au besoin automobile. L’algorithme d’ordonnancement proposé prend en compte cette spécificité ainsi que les contraintes temps-réel et fonctionnelles, assurant l’applicabilité de notre méthodologie dans un produit industriel. Nous avons expérimenté nos solutions avec une application de type contrôle moteur, sur une plateforme matérielle multi-cœur. / The recent migration from single-core to multi-core platforms in the automotive domain reveals great challenges for the legacy embedded software design flow. First of all, software designers need new methods to fill the gap between applications description and tasks deployment. Secondly, the use of multiple cores has also to remain compatible with real-time and safety design constraints. Finally, developers need tools to assist them in the new steps of the design process. Face to these issues, we proposed a method integrated in the AUTOSAR (AUTomotive Open System ARchitecture) design flow for partitioning the automotive applications onto multi-core systems. The method proposes the partitions solution that contains allocation of application as well as scheduling policy simultaneously. The design space of the partitioning is explored automatically and the solutions are evaluated thanks to our proposed objective functions that consider certain criteria such as communication overhead and global jitters. For the scheduling part, we present a formalization of periodic dependencies adapted to this automotive framework and propose a scheduling algorithm taking into account this specificity. Our defined constraints from real-time aspect as well as functional aspect make sure the applicability of our method on the real life user case. We leaded experiments with a complex and real world control application onto a concrete multi-core platform.

Nowadays, computer systems are everywhere. From simple portable devices such as watches and MP3 players to large stationary installations that control nuclear power plants, computer systems are now present in all aspects of our modern and every-day life. In about only 70 years, they have completely perturbed our way of life and they reached a so high degree of sophistication that they will be soon capable of driving our cars and cleaning our houses without any human intervention. As computer systems gain in responsibilities, it becomes essential that they provide both safety and reliability. Indeed, a failure in systems such as the anti-lock braking system (ABS) in cars could threaten human lives and generate catastrophic and irreversible consequences. Hence, for many years, researchers have addressed these emerging problems of system safety and reliability which come along with this fulgurant evolution. This thesis provides a general overview of embedded real-time computer systems, i.e., a particular kind of computer system whose number grows daily. We provide the reader with some preliminary knowledge and a good understanding of the concepts that underlie this emerging technology. We focus especially on the theoretical problems related to the real-time issue and briefly summarizes the main solutions, together with their advantages and drawbacks. This brings the reader through all the conceptual layers constituting a computer system, from the software level---the logical part---that specifies both the system behavior and requirements to the hardware level---the physical part---that actually performs the expected treatments and reacts to the environment. In the meanwhile, we introduce the theoretical models that allow researchers for theoretical analyses which ensure that all the system requirements are fulfilled. Finally, we address the energy consumption problem in embedded systems. We describe the various factors of power dissipation in modern technologies and we introduce different solutions to reduce this consumption./Cette thèse se focalise sur un type de systèmes informatiques bien précis appelés “systèmes embarqués temps réel”. Un système est dit “embarqué” lorsqu’il est développé afin de servir un but bien précis. Un téléphone portable est un parfait exemple de système embarqué étant donné que toutes ses fonctionnalités sont rigoureusement définies avant même sa conception. Au contraire, un ordinateur personnel n’est généralement pas considéré comme un système embarqué, les concepteurs ne sachant pas à l’avance à quelles fins il sera utilisé. Une grande partie de ces systèmes embarqués ont des contraintes temporelles très fortes, ce qui les distingue encore plus des ordinateurs grand public. A titre d’exemple, lorsqu’un conducteur de voiture freine brusquement, l’ordinateur de bord déclenche l’application ABS et il est primordial que cette application soit traitée endéans une courte échéance. Autrement dit, cette fonctionnalité ABS doit être traitée prioritairement par rapport aux autres fonctionnalités du véhicule. Ce type de système embarqué est alors dit “temps réel”, dû à ces notions de temps et de priorités entre les applications. La problèmatique posée par les systèmes temps réel est la suivante. Comment déterminer, à tout moment, un ordre d’exécution des différentes fonctionnalités de telle sorte qu’elles soient toutes exécutées entièrement endéans leur échéance ? De plus, avec l’apparition récente des systèmes multiprocesseurs, cette problématique s’est fortement complexifiée, vu que le système doit à présent déterminer quelle fonctionnalité s’exécute à quel moment sur quel processeur afin que toutes les contraintes temporelles soient respectées. Pour finir, ces systèmes embarqués temp réel multiprocesseurs se sont rapidement retrouvés confrontés à un problème de consommation d’énergie. Leur demande en terme de performance (et donc en terme d’énergie) à évolué beaucoup plus rapidement que la capacité des batteries qui les alimentent. Ce problème est actuellement rencontré par de nombreux systèmes, tels que les téléphones portables par exemple. L’objectif de cette thèse est de parcourir les différents composants de tels système embarqués et de proposer des solutions afin de réduire leur consommation d’énergie.

In this thesis, we study temperature-constrained multiprocessor real-time systems, where real-time guarantees must be met without exceeding safe temperature levels within the processors. We focus on Pfair scheduling algorithms, especially ERfair scheduling scheme (a work-conserving extension to Pfair scheduling) as our main multiprocessor real-time scheduling methodology. Then, we study the benefits of simple reactive speed scaling as described in the real-time multiprocessor systems. In this thesis, in support of the temperature-awareness, we extend the applicability of the reactive speed scaling to global scheduling schemes for multiprocessors. We propose temperature-aware scheduling and processor selection schemes motivated by existing (thermally non-optimal) ERfair scheduling in order to reduce thermal stress and therefore increase the processor utilization. Then, we show that the proposed algorithm and reactive scheme can enhance the processor utilization compared with any constant speed scheme on real-time multiprocessor systems. Additionally, we show how the maximum schedulable utilization (MSU) for partitioning heuristics can be determined on the temperature-constrained multiprocessor real-time systems.

Meeting deadlines is an important aspect of every employee’s role within an organization because the ability to meet deadlines is one of the key performance areas that employees are measured against during their performance reviews. This study will focus on those factors that contribute to employees meeting or missing their business deadlines. The factors discussed in this study are employee loyalty, job satisfaction, employee satisfaction and confidence. South Africa is a controlled-time culture, and adherence to schedules is important and expected. In South Africa, missing a deadline is a sign of inefficiency and poor management and can have an impact on people’s confidence. Successful management will depend on the ability of individuals in the team, being able to meet deadlines. In this study, the target population consisted of fifty employees, in various positions, based in the city of Durban. The questionnaires were distributed via email and some were self-administered. The quantitative method was used to gather and analyse the data. The findings of this study reveal that employee satisfaction, job satisfaction, employee loyalty and confidence all contribute towards employees meeting business deadlines. Robbins (2009) states that numerous studies have shown that satisfied employees are highly motivated, have high morale at work and work more effectively and efficiently. These employees are also more committed to continuous improvement and to quality. The recommendation will be that managers or employers must schedule dates by which specific tasks or projects must be completed and they should keep to the schedule to avoid procrastination. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

abstract: A principal goal of this dissertation is to study stochastic optimization and real-time scheduling in cyber-physical systems (CPSs) ranging from real-time wireless systems to energy systems to distributed control systems. Under this common theme, this dissertation can be broadly organized into three parts based on the system environments. The first part investigates stochastic optimization in real-time wireless systems, with the focus on the deadline-aware scheduling for real-time traffic. The optimal solution to such scheduling problems requires to explicitly taking into account the coupling in the deadline-aware transmissions and stochastic characteristics of the traffic, which involves a dynamic program that is traditionally known to be intractable or computationally expensive to implement. First, real-time scheduling with adaptive network coding over memoryless channels is studied, and a polynomial-time complexity algorithm is developed to characterize the optimal real-time scheduling. Then, real-time scheduling over Markovian channels is investigated, where channel conditions are time-varying and online channel learning is necessary, and the optimal scheduling policies in different traffic regimes are studied. The second part focuses on the stochastic optimization and real-time scheduling involved in energy systems. First, risk-aware scheduling and dispatch for plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) are studied, aiming to jointly optimize the EV charging cost and the risk of the load mismatch between the forecasted and the actual EV loads, due to the random driving activities of EVs. Then, the integration of wind generation at high penetration levels into bulk power grids is considered. Joint optimization of economic dispatch and interruptible load management is investigated using short-term wind farm generation forecast. The third part studies stochastic optimization in distributed control systems under different network environments. First, distributed spectrum access in cognitive radio networks is investigated by using pricing approach, where primary users (PUs) sell the temporarily unused spectrum and secondary users compete via random access for such spectrum opportunities. The optimal pricing strategy for PUs and the corresponding distributed implementation of spectrum access control are developed to maximize the PU's revenue. Then, a systematic study of the nonconvex utility-based power control problem is presented under the physical interference model in ad-hoc networks. Distributed power control schemes are devised to maximize the system utility, by leveraging the extended duality theory and simulated annealing. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Electrical Engineering 2012