Optimal File Allocation in a Distributed Computer Network by Orthogonal Array Experiments

AbstreaThe problem of allocating files in a distributed network of interconnected computers, which was first addressed by Chu [l], is one of minimizing the overall operating cost while satisfying the finite computer storage capacity constraint and the bounds on the time to access the files. The overall operating oost consists of the cost of storing the files in the computers and the cost of transferring them across the network. Chu formulates this problem as a nonlinear z m n e integer programming problem, linearizes it, and solves the resulting linear zero-one integer programming problem, using the Gomgr cuthng technique [7]. When the communication link capacities are non-uniform, the dimension of the problem increases drastically, and conventional integer