Choice of load-balancing parameters

[Raymond Fink]

(Posting for a colleague without net access; please e-mail replies
to rkf at inel.gov... thanks)

I am working on a Unix utility that will start up applications in a 
homogeneous, multi-host environment.  The idea is to be able to determine
where to run an application when you know the load of hosts on your network.
For example, I want to run a Payroll program, which of 10, identical Ultrix
machines do I choose from?  My concern is not the architecture of the software,
rather it is the parameters to use for load balancing.  I've looked into
the commands pstat, ps, iostat, vmstat, etc., and find a bunch of
parameters that I may be able to use for this purpose.  Who knows
which parameters may be half decent to derive a load-balancing parameter.
I know that the uptime's load reflects the average number of jobs in the
run-queue.  However, this doesn't take into account job-size, inputs/outputs, 
etc.  I'd appreciate help.  
Thanks, Ben Groeneveld 
INEL TACCS Project

-- 
Ray Fink -- Idaho National Engineering Laboratory -- Idaho Falls ID 
	rkf at INEL.GOV
	rkf%INEL.GOV at uiucuxc.ARPA