NAME

Parallel::Pvm::Scheduler - Perl extension for distributing jobs through PVM

SYNOPSIS

  use Parallel::Pvm::Scheduler;
  my $prm = new Parallel::Pvm::Scheduler();

  # Create an array of tasks:
  $tasks[0][0] = "/myhome/program1";
  $tasks[0][1] = "program1 parameter 1";
  $tasks[0][2] = "program1 parameter 2";

  $tasks[1][0] = "/myhome/program2_noparameters";

  $tasks[2][0] = "/myhome/program1";
  $tasks[2][1] = "program1 parameter 1";
  
  # Submit the tasks
  for ($i = 0; $i < $taskcount; $i++)
  {
        $prm->submit("user-defined task description", $args[$i]);
  }

  # Wait for the tasks to complete
  $prm->recaptureHosts(1);

DESCRIPTION

Parallel-Pvm-Scheduler is a module designed to allow one to distribute a large number of independent jobs across a cluster using PVM. It first queries the number of available machines in the cluster, then submits exactly 1 jobs per available machine. When a job is finished, it recaptures the machine and submits the next job. It repeats this until all the jobs are complete.

If all the available machines are used, it will wait until 1 becomes free before submitting the next job, hence it will sleep until a task is complete.

EXPORT

None by default.

SEE ALSO

Parallel::Pvm perl module

AUTHOR

Ryan Golhar, <golharam@umdnj.edu<gt>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

Copyright 2006 by Ryan Golhar

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

new

 Title   : new
 Usage   : my $prm = new Parallel::Pvm::Scheduler();
 Function: Creates and initialized a PVM resource manager
 Returns : Parallel::Pvm::Scheduler

getHostCount

 Title   : getHostCount
 Usage   : $hostcount = $prm->getHostCount();
 Function: Returns the number of hosts within the PVM
 Returns : integer

getFreeHostCount

 Title   : getFreeHostCount
 Usage   : $freehostcount = $prm->getFreeHostCount();
 Function: Returns the number of free hosts within the PVM
 Returns : integer

submit

 Title   : submit
 Usage   : $prm->getFreeHostCount($taskdesc, @argv);
 Function: Submits a task contained with an argument vector
 Args    : $taskdesc is a taskdescription.  It can be anything set by the user
           @argv is an argument vector.  The first element is the program to execute
           the remaining elements are the parameters to the program.  
 Notes   : To execute multiple programs in serial for a single task, make a perl script
           and submit the perl script as the task.
 

recaptureHosts

 Title   : recaptureHosts
 Usage   : $prm->recaptureHosts($block);
 Function: Checks tasks for completion and prints their output
 Args    : $block 
                = 0, then iterate through all the tasks and query for their completion.
                        if done, free the machine
                = 1, then iterate through all tasks waiting for them to complete.  Does not
                        return until the tasks are complete.

_allocateHost

 Title   : _allocateHost
 Function: Internal Function: Used to allocate which host runs the next task

_deallocateHost

 Title   : _deallocateHost
 Function: Internal Function: Frees a host making it available for another task