Agenda 2001
Explanatory Notes
First, an autonomic computing system must configure and reconfigure itself under varying and unpredictable conditions. Given possible permutations in complex systems, configuration can be difficult and time-consuming — some servers alone present hundreds of configuration alternatives.
Next, an autonomic computing system would not settle for the status quo — it would always look for ways to optimize its workings. It would monitor its constituent parts and fine-tune workflow to achieve predetermined system goals.
To be able to optimize itself, an autonomic system will need advanced feedback control mechanisms to monitor its metrics and take appropriate action. Although feedback control is an old technique, new approaches are needed to apply it to computing -- questions such as how often a system takes control actions, how much delay it can accept between an action and its effect, and how all this affects overall system stability. Most important, all the components of an autonomic system, no matter how diverse, must be controllable in a unified manner.
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