DaoCron. Job Scheduler for Autonomous Observation Units in the Arctic Tundra

Abstract

DaoCron is a service which enables users to schedule tasks periodically. The Distributed Arctic Observatory (DAO) aims to improve the data collection from the arctic tundra using Observation Units (OUs). These OUs are given a set of tasks which they are expected to schedule at certain intervals. In order to schedule these tasks at certain time-intervals one can make use of Cron, which is a tool for time-base scheduling of jobs in Unix-like systems. However, the harsh conditions of the arctic tundra may result in unavailable networks and low levels of energy which may affect the results of the scheduled tasks. DaoCron aims to expand upon Cron by including the network and energy variables into the task scheduling process. It also provides more control and customizability for the user than what is achievable through Cron. Allowing the user to provide a larger set of configurations for the tasks, custom written pre-schedule evaluation scripts and performing periodical reporting. DaoCron tries to build and include historical models for the network, energy and task failure rates in an effort to improve the scheduling of tasks.