Workflow Scheduling Algorithms in Cloud Computing: An Analysis, Analogy, and Provocations

Abstract

Cloud computing is based on sharing of resources to make a service economical same as a public utility. Nowadays, the most prominent application of cloud computing is workflow scheduling. Workflow consists of a repeatable pattern of business activity that needs to be executed sequentially in a diagram or checklist, whether with the help of a colleague, some tool, or using another process. Scheduling means mapping of these business activities to available resources keeping in mind the QoS constraints to achieve. A various number of workflow scheduling algorithms have been proposed till now for scheduling workflows on cloud environment. This paper provides a comprehensive classification of some of the recently used algorithms in this sector. Besides the algorithm’s illustration, the paper also states comparison in these algorithms for better clarification of their objectives and limitations as well as scope and research problems in this sector.