catflap.org Online Dictionary Query

  load balancing
       
           Techniques which aim to spread
          tasks among the processors in a parallel processor to avoid
          some processors being idle while others have tasks queueing
          for execution.  Load balancing may be performed either by
          heavily loaded processors (with many tasks in their queues)
          sending tasks to other processors; by idle processors
          requesting work from others; by some centralised task
          distribution mechanism; or some combination of these.  Some
          systems allow tasks to be moved after they have started
          executing ("{task migration") others do not.  It is important
          that the overhead of executing the load balancing
          algorithm does not contribute significantly to the overall
          processing or communications load.
       
          Distributed scheduling algorithms may be static, dynamic or
          preemptive.  Static algorithms allocate processes to
          processors at run time while taking no account of current
          network load.  Dynamic algorithms are more flexible, though
          more computationally expensive, and give some consideration to
          the network load before allocating the new process to a
          processor.  Preemptive algorithms are more expensive and
          flexible still, and may migrate running processes from one
          host to another if deemed beneficial.  Research to date
          indicates that dynamic algorithms yield significant
          performance benefits, but that further (though lesser) gains
          may be had through the addition of process migration
          facilities.
       
          (1995-03-13)
       
       

  load balancing /lˈəʊd bˈalənsɪŋ/
  Lastverteilung  [comp.]

  Load Balancing /lˈəʊd bˈalənsɪŋ/
  Balansiranje opterećenja