Design of a middleware-based cluster management platform with task management and migration

In this paper, we address the design and implementation of a generic and scalable platform for efficient management of computational resources. The developed platform is called the Intelligent Agent Platform. Its architecture is based on middleware technology in order to ensure easy distribution of the software components between the participating workstations and to exploit advanced software techniques. The computational tasks are referred to as agents, defined as software components that are capable of executing particular algorithms on input data. The platform offers advanced features such as transparent task management, load balancing, run time compilation of agent code and task migration and is therefore denoted by the adjective "Intelligent". The architecture of the platform will be outlined from a computational point of view and each component will be described in detail. Furthermore, some important design issues of the platform are covered and a performance evaluation is presented.