Modified backfill scheduler and a method employing frequency control to reduce peak cluster power requirements

摘要

A method is disclosed for reducing peak power usage in a large computer system with multiple nodes by identifying jobs which can be scheduled to run at reduced frequency in order to reduce total power usage during certain time periods. The backfill scheduler of the computer system's operating system performs steps providing for selected jobs on selected nodes of the computer system to be run at reduced frequency such that those jobs are partially processed during previously underutilized holes in the computer system schedule in order to reduce overall peak power during a period of processing.