An optimized approach for container deployment driven by a two-stage load balancing mechanism.

The rapid development of cloud computing expands the scale of modern cloud data centers, resulting in growing challenges of energy consumption. Load balancing of virtual machines(VMs), for the purposes of improving the utilization of physical resources and reducing energy consumption, has become a research focus in recent years. However, the existing researches mostly focus on how to maximize resource utilization and reduce energy consumption. Security issues in the context of load balancing of VMs were rarely addressed. In this paper, we research the key procedures of load balancing, VM selection and VM placement, we find that the existing schemes introduced several security problems. In consideration of some conclusions of recent researches and inevitable live migrations during load balancing, common tenants have sufficient reasons to worry about their VMs' security when they are migrated to strange hosts and/or co-reside with the VMs owned by strange tenants. In short, VMs' mobility introduced by load balance expands the attack surface. In this work, we classify and analyze related security threats and create an information leakage model for load balancing. We present a new security policy, SeLance, to secure the load balancing via avoiding above threats as far as possible. We develop exact implementations in CloudSim and OpenStack. We show that SeLance can effectively alleviate the threats introduced by load balancing, the security score can improve 46.90%-81.15%, while keeping the load balancer's original function to a great extent (± 2.5%).

Optimizing the crop cultivation pattern, in order to reduce water consumption, in arid and semi-arid regions such as Iran, due to water scarcity and food intake, is an essential solution for food intakes needs. Optimizing the crop cultivation pattern, in order to reduce water consumption, in arid and semi-arid regions such as Iran, due to water scarcity and food intake, is an essential solution for food intakes needs. In this study, new methods based on the election algorithms (EA) and gray wolf optimizer (GWO) algorithms were used to determine the optimal cultivation pattern in Moghan plain during the statistical years of 2007-2016. The objective function in the agricultural sector was based on each product and its yield, net from each product and the cultivar. Then, maximization of the objective function was performed using GWO and EA algorithm. The results of using GWO algorithm in determining the optimal crop pattern in Moghan plain showed that using economic policies such as changing the cultivar pattern, we can obtain a better result compared to EA algorithm in the agricultural sector. In general, the results of GWO algorithm showed that in the Moghan plain with 0.9, 140 billion rials, that is, about 42 % will have economic growth. In sum, the results showed that GWO algorithm with high values of statistical criteria (R2=0.96, RMSE=0.022 and NSE=0.75) has a higher efficiency in optimizing the crop cultivation pattern of Moghan plain, which can be applied to the correct planning for other cultivation areas to be employed.

Hybrid grey wolf and improved particle swarm optimization with adaptive intertial weight-based multi-dimensional learning strategy for load balancing in cloud environments

Generally, optimization is defined as the process of determining the minimum or maximum value that depends on the function of the goal, even now there are many problems regarding optimization. One of them is the problem regarding the selection of goods to be included in a limited storage medium called Knapsack problem. Knapsack problems have different types and variations. This study will solve the problem of bounded knapsack multiple constraints by implementing the Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) algorithm. The problem of bounded knapsack multiple constraints has more than one subject with the items that are inserted into the dimension storage media can be partially or completely inserted, but the number of objects is limited. The aim of this study is to determine the results of using the Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) algorithm for solving the problem of multiple constraints bounded knapsack and compare the optimal solutions obtained by the simplex method using the Solver Add-In in Microsoft Excel. The data used in this study is primary data. There are two parameters to be tested, namely population parameters and maximum iteration. The test results of the two parameters show that the population parameters and maximum iterations have the same effect, where the greater the value of the population parameters and the maximum iteration, the results obtained are also getting closer to the optimal value. In addition, based on the results of the final experiment it is known that the comparison of the results of the GWO algorithm and the simplex method has a fairly small percentage deviation which indicates that the GWO algorithm produces results that are close to the optimal value.
 Keywords: GWO algorithm, Knapsack, Multiple Constraints Bounded Knapsack.

PurposeSea Lion Optimization (SLnO) algorithm involves the ability of exploration and exploitation phases, and it is able to solve combinatorial optimization problems. For these reasons, it is considered a global optimizer. The scheduling operation is completed by imitating the hunting behavior of sea lions.Design/methodology/approachCloud computing (CC) is a type of distributed computing, contributory in a massive number of available resources and demands, and its goal is sharing the resources as services over the internet. Because of the optimal using of these services is everlasting challenge, the issue of task scheduling in CC is significant. In this paper, a task scheduling technique for CC based on SLnO and multiple-objective model are proposed. It enables decreasing in overall completion time, cost and power consumption; and maximizes the resources utilization. The simulation results on the tested data illustrated that the SLnO scheduler performed better performance than other state-of-the-art schedulers in terms of makespan, cost, energy consumption, resources utilization and degree of imbalance.FindingsThe performance of the SLnO, Vocalization of Whale Optimization Algorithm (VWOA), Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA), Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO) and Round Robin (RR) algorithms for 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 independent cloud tasks on 8, 16 and 32 VMs was evaluated. The results show that SLnO algorithm has better performance than VWOA, WOA, GWO and RR in terms of makespan and imbalance degree. In addition, SLnO exhausts less power than VWOA, WOA, GWO and RR. More precisely, SLnO conserves 5.6, 21.96, 22.7 and 73.98% energy compared to VWOA, WOA, GWO and RR mechanisms, respectively. On the other hand, SLnO algorithm shows better performance than the VWOA and other algorithms. The SLnO algorithm's overall execution cost of scheduling the cloud tasks is minimized by 20.62, 39.9, 42.44 and 46.9% compared with VWOA, WOA, GWO and RR algorithms, respectively. Finally, the SLnO algorithm's average resource utilization is increased by 6, 10, 11.8 and 31.8% compared with those of VWOA, WOA, GWO and RR mechanisms, respectively.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is original and has not been published elsewhere, nor is it currently under consideration for publication elsewhere.

The distribution flexible alternating current system (D-FACT) devices are being increasingly placed in the distribution system due to their several practical and environmental benefits. In this work, a novel grey wolf optimizer (GWO) algorithm as a meta-heuristic technique is applied to solve the reconfiguration problem, the installation of distribution static compensator (D-STATCOM) problem, and the combination of these two problem. The aim of this research is to diminish the total power loss and the load-balancing (LB) index of the radial distribution system. First, the index vector (IV) method is employed to suggest the candidate busses for D-STATCOM allocation. Then, the GWO algorithm is applied to establish the locations and sizes of the D-STATCOM from the candidate busses. An overall accurateness and consistency of the proposed GWO algorithm has been validated and experienced on a 33-bus, a 69-bus, and a real-time 31-bus radial distribution system, India with three kinds of load levels. In addition, the proposed method results are ideal as compared with other intellectual methods like genetic algorithm (GA) and fuzzy GA.

The emergence of wireless sensor network (WSN) makes the communication between people and things more extensive, and provides a new way for people to obtain information and more accurate real‐time communication. However, the regional distance in WSN is still a big problem. This method can not only optimize the cluster structure, but also reduce the number of member nodes in the cluster, the cluster head receiving energy, and reduce the data transmission distance between nodes. At the same time, the number of packets received by the base station increases, so that more sensing information can be obtained. The simulation results showed that compared with the smart Ethernet protection (SEP) protocol and the low energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (LEACH) protocol, the number of first node deaths (FND) of the grey wolf optimizer (GWO) algorithm was 153 and 233 times different from those of the SEP and LEACH protocols respectively at 100m*100m. In the case of 200m*200m, compared with that of SEP and LEACH, the number of FND of GWO was 152 and 200 times different. Finally, in the case of 300m*300m, compared with that of SEP and LEACH, the number of FND of GWO was 142 and 158 times different. The GWO algorithm has a higher node ARE ratio in a wider region. In the same 1000 rounds, the node ARE of GWO was 61%, while the node ARE of SEP and LEACH protocols were 7% and 3%, respectively. From the above results, it can be found that the GWO algorithm has been greatly improved in terms of network energy efficiency, network lifetime, etc., and can still work normally under larger scale monitoring. The innovation of this article lies in the localization problem of fixed node mobile sensor networks, proposing a mobile sensor network localization method based on mobile error nodes. This can optimize the distance between nodes and improve the positioning accuracy of the algorithm in both distributed and centralized situations. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Cloud computing is an emerging area where all the network services are provided in the form of pay per use. Utilizing the available resources efficiently is one of the challenge in the data center network. Cloud resources are given as virtual machine to the end users. Sometimes, Virtual Machines (VMs) are overloaded or underloaded. The overloaded VMs degrade the performance of applications and underloaded VMs lead to inefficient resource utilization. To effectively utilize the available resources, we have proposed Dynamic Agent-Based’Load Balancing (DA-LB) on Software-Defined Networking (SDN) using Back Propagation Artificial Neural Network (BPANN). This load balancing algorithm uses the global visibility of SDN to efficiently migrate virtual machines in the data center network. The results show that our SDN load balancing approach improves the overall network efficiency and works well on data migration.The proposed algorithm helps to increase the processing speed and predict the loaded VM in heavy load conditions and optimizes the resource utilization. The migration process results are compared with Multi-Path TCP (MPTCP) and Heuristic algorithm (HA) and it is seen that our proposed algorithm takes less migration time compared to MPTCP and HA.

Cloud computing serves as a platform for remote users to utilize the heterogeneous resources in data-centers to compute High-Performance Computing jobs. The physical resources are virtualized in Cloud to entertain user services employing Virtual Machines (VMs). Job scheduling is deemed as a quintessential part of Cloud and efficient utilization of VMs by Cloud Service Providers demands an optimal job scheduling heuristic. An ideal scheduling heuristic should be efficient, fair, and starvation-free to produce a reduced makespan with improved resource utilization. However, static heuristics often lead to inefficient and poor resource utilization in the Cloud. An idle and underutilized host machine in Cloud still consumes up to 70% of the energy required by an active machine (Ray, in Indian J Comput Sci Eng 1(4):333–339, 2012). Consequently, it demands a load-balanced distribution of workload to achieve optimal resource utilization in Cloud. Existing Cloud scheduling heuristics such as Min–Min, Max–Min, and Sufferage distribute workloads among VMs based on minimum job completion time that ultimately causes a load imbalance. In this paper, a novel Resource-Aware Load Balancing Algorithm (RALBA) is presented to ensure a balanced distribution of workload based on computation capabilities of VMs. The RABLA framework comprises of two phases: (1) scheduling based on computing capabilities of VMs, and (2) the VM with earliest finish time is selected for jobs mapping. The outcomes of the RALBA have revealed that it provides substantial improvement against traditional heuristics regarding makespan, resource utilization, and throughput.

Biodiesel manufacturing from renewable feedstocks has received a lot of attention as a viable alternative to fossil fuels. The Box-Behnken design, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) algorithm were used in this work to optimise biodiesel production from Nahar oil. The goal was to determine the best operating parameters for maximising biodiesel yield. The Box-Behnken design is used, with four essential parameters taken into account: molar ratio, reaction duration and temperature, and catalyst weight percentage. The response surface is studied in this design, and the key factors influencing biodiesel yield are discovered. The gathered data is given to ANOVA analysis to determine the statistical significance. ANOVA analysis is performed on the acquired data to determine the statistical significance of the components and their interactions. The GWO algorithm is used to better optimise the biodiesel production process. Based on the data provided, the GWO algorithm obtains an optimised yield of 91.6484% by running the reaction for 200 minutes, using a molar ratio of 7, and a catalyst weight percentage of 1.2. As indicated by the lower boundaries, the reaction temperature ranges from 50 °C. The results show that the Box-Behnken design, ANOVA, and GWO algorithm were successfully integrated for optimising biodiesel production from Nahar oil. This method offers useful insights into process optimisation and indicates the possibilities for increasing the efficiency and sustainability of biodiesel production. Further study can broaden the use of these strategies to various biodiesel production processes and feedstocks, advancing sustainable energy technology.

Task scheduling is considered as one of the most critical problems in cloud computing environment. The main target of task scheduling includes scheduling jobs on virtual machines as well as improves performance. This study employed Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO) algorithm with modifications on the fitness function by making it handles multi-objectives insingle fitness; the makespan and cost are the objectives included in the fitness in order to solve task scheduling problem. The main target of this technique is to reduce both cost and makespan. CloudSim tool is used to evaluate the objectives of the proposed method. The simulation results showed that the proposed method (Modified Grey Wolf Optimizer - MGWO) has better performance than both the traditional Grey Wolf Optimization Algorithm (GWO) and Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) with makespan based fitness in terms of makespan, cost and degree of imbalance.

Goal: Load balancing policies often map workloads on virtual machines, and are being sought to achieve their goals by creating an almost equal level of workload on any virtual machine. In this research, a hybrid load balancing algorithm is proposed with the aim of reducing response time and processing time.
 Design / Methodology / Approach: The proposed algorithm performs load balancing using a table including the status indicators of virtual machines and the task list allocated to each virtual machine. The evaluation results of response time and processing time in data centers from four algorithms, ESCE, Throttled, Round Robin and the proposed algorithm is done.
 Results: The overall response time and data processing time in the proposed algorithm data center are shorter than other algorithms and improve the response time and data processing time in the data center. The results of the overall response time for all algorithms show that the response time of the proposed algorithm is 12.28%, compared to the Round Robin algorithm, 9.1% compared to the Throttled algorithm, and 4.86% of the ESCE algorithm.
 Limitations of the investigation: Due to time and technical limitations, load balancing has not been achieved with more goals, such as lowering costs and increasing productivity.
 Practical implications: The implementation of a hybrid load factor policy can improve the response time and processing time. The use of load balancing will cause the traffic load between virtual machines to be properly distributed and prevent bottlenecks. This will be effective in increasing customer responsiveness. And finally, improving response time increases the satisfaction of cloud users and increases the productivity of computing resources.
 Originality/Value: This research can be effective in optimizing the existing algorithms and will take a step towards further research in this regard.

Nowadays cloud computing provides an effective way of implementing infrastructure as a service (IaaS). However virtualized data centers still face many challenges, such as low resource utilization of physical machines (PMs) and imbalanced server loads. Virtual machine (VM) consolidation based on live migration allows administrator to dynamically redeploy VMs into PMs for better resource utilization. Common VM consolidation methods usually focus on one challenge, and pay little attention to others or just ignore them, while effective VM redeployment should make tradeoffs between these challenges, and more importantly, should not let other challenges become worse. On the other hand, since VM live migration leads to performance degradation of applications, consolidation work should control migration cost. In this paper, we provide a manner to comprehensively consider power consumption, load balancing, communication delay and migration cost during VM redeployment. And we formalize VM consolidation as a multiobjective optimization problem, then solve this problem with an improved genetic algorithm. Simulation experiments based on real world workload trace show that compared with single objective optimization approaches our method effectively make tradeoffs between optimized objectives and has better overall performance, which is more practical in real data centers.

Transformer-based decoder of melanoma classification using hand-crafted texture feature fusion and Gray Wolf Optimization algorithm

<p>There are several physical data centers in cloud environment with hundreds or thousands of computers. Virtualization is the key technology to make cloud computing feasible. It separates virtual machines in a way that each of these so-called virtualized machines can be configured on a number of hosts according to the type of user application. It is also possible to dynamically alter the allocated resources of a virtual machine. Different methods of energy saving in data centers can be divided into three general categories: 1) methods based on load balancing of resources; 2) using hardware facilities for scheduling; 3) considering thermal characteristics of the environment. This paper focuses on load balancing methods as they act dynamically because of their dependence on the current behavior of system. By taking a detailed look on previous methods, we provide a hybrid method which enables us to save energy through finding a suitable configuration for virtual machines placement and considering special features of virtual environments for scheduling and balancing dynamic loads by live migration method.</p>