Scheduling Computer and Manufacturing Processes [Hardcover]

Written in a clear and concise manner this book provides a theoretical and application oriented analysis of deterministic scheduling problems arising in computer and manufacturing environments. Various scheduling problems are discussed where different problem parameters such as task processing times, urgency weights, arrival times, deadlines, precedence constraints, and processor speed factor are involved. Polynomial and exponential time optimization algorithms as well as approximation and heuristic approaches are presented and discussed. Moreover, resource-constrained, imprecise computation, flexible flow shop and dynamic job shop scheduling, as well as flexible manufacturing systems, are considered. An excellent analysis based on real-world applications with plenty of examples.Let us first describe the purpose of this book, starting with the explanation of its title. In general, scheduling problems can be understood very broadly as the problems of allocating resources over time to perform a set of tasks being parts of some processes, among which computational and manufacturing ones are most important. Tasks individually compete for resources which can be of a very different nature, e.g. manpower, money, processors (machines), energy, tools. The same is true for task characteristics, e.g. ready times, due dates, relative ur? gency weights, functions describing task processing in relation to allotted re? sources. Moreover, a structure of a set of tasks, reflecting precedence constraints among them, can be defined in different ways. In addition, different criteria which measure the quality of the performance of a set of tasks can be taken into account. It is easy to imagine that scheduling problems understood so generally ap? pear almost everywhere in real-world situations. Of course, there are many as? pects concerning approaches for modeling and solving these problems which are of general methodological importance. On the other hand, however, some classes of schedulc)