Impact of node ranking on outcomes of grid resource allocation

The resource allocation mechanism of a computing grid decides which tasks to allocate to which nodes for processing. Resource allocation is an interesting problem for any grid, but particularly so for a grid of heterogeneous computers, where the choice of one node over a functionally different node can affect the time or energy used in the computation. We propose a resource allocation metric that combines aspects of both energy usage and computational performance. On a simulated grid we compare this new metric with a number of traditional grid resource allocation metrics, and conclude that the choice of metric can have a significant impact on the time taken for a set of computations and the energy used in performing those computations.