Methods for resource allocation via agent coalition formation in grid computing systems

Resource allocation is a key problem in grid computing systems. In this paper, a new approach via agent coalition formation is presented for optimal resource allocation. Firstly, we describe an agent-based resource management architecture of computational grid, which is divided into three layers: resource layer, agent layer and application layer. Virtual resource organizations are designed for efficient resource management. Then, the algorithm of resource allocation is given. It consists of two main stages. Using a message transfer mechanism about intermediate result of resources selecting, our algorithm can find beneficial coalitions. It is timesaving, efficient and easy to implement.