Task-scheduling for distributed system design

The development and maintenance of large distributed software systems remains a difficult problem. We propose a targeted effort that will improve system management (such as version control / configuration management) while providing system analysis via task scheduling in a self-consistent manner. Although the approach is high-level in that it is targeted at the ability to handle thousands of software elements deployed onto hundreds of hardware platforms with a generalized inter-network connecting them, it will also be capable of incorporating realistic effects of process activation and communication overhead, resource contention, and other effects in large-scale systems design. The utility will be delivered in the form of net- and web-based tools using a multi-tier web service approach.