Showing papers on "Resource management published in 1968"

Resource management for a medium scale time-sharing operating system

Abstract: Task scheduling and resource balancing for a medium-size virtual memory paging machine are discussed in relation to a combined batch processing and time sharing environment. A synopsis is given of the task scheduling and paging algorithms that were implemented and the results of comparative simulation are given by tracing the development of the algorithms through six predecessor versions. Throughout the discussion particular emphasis is placed on balancing the system performance relative to the characteristics of all the system resources. Simulation results relative to alternate hardware characteristics and the effects of program mix and loading variations are also presented.

A State-Space Model for Resource Allocation in Higher Education

Abstract: A state-space model describes the behavioral characteristics of a system as a set of relationships among time functions representing its inputs, outputs, and internal state. The model presented describes the utilization of a university's basic resources of personnel, space, and technological equipment in the production of degree programs, research, and public or technical services. It is intended as an aid in achieving an optimal allocation of resources in higher education and in predicting future needs. The internal state of the system is defined as the distribution of students into levels and fields of study, with associated unit "costs" of education received. The model is developed by interconnecting, with appropriate constraints, independent submodels of major functional segments of university activity. The development of computer programs for estimation of parameters with continual updating and for simulation of the system behavior is described. This description includes a review of machine-addressable data files needed to implement the programs. The state model provides a natural form for approaching problems of system optimization and control. The paper discusses the question of control inputs and the feasibility of developing a formal optimal control policy for a university with essentially "open door" admissions.

On the Efficiency of Resource Utilization in Subsistence Agriculture

Abstract: One way to approach the analysis of economic development is through the theory of production. The relevant question then is how to increase output per unit of input. The conceptual alternatives are (1) changing the production surface or (2) reorganizing productive inputs within a given production possibility curve. Moving the production surface means changing the parameters of the production function, usually by introducing new kinds of inputs of production. "Technological change" is a convenient label for such changes in the production function. Given the production function, i.e., ruling aside technological change, output per unit of input may be increased by improving the efficiency with which the existing inputs are allocated. If such reshuffling of resources is possible, achieving allocative efficiency represents a relatively painless way of obtaining growth-a new version of the "up-by-the-bootstraps" approach to development. It then becomes relevant to ask how widespread is the misallocation of resources and, if it exists, what are the reasons for such misallocation. Monopolistic restrictions of entry into the field and restrictions in international trade are two of the sources of allocative inefficiency which have recently been studied and quantified. Another source is institutional rigidities specific to less-developed countries (LOCs), e.g., irrationality, ignorance, or wastefulness. More recently, however, a number of studies have established that production in LDCs is generally efficient, given the state of technology within which it is organized (21,10,19,17,26). The purpose of this paper is to examine the efficiency of resource utilization in a random sample of farm-firms, operating within the framework of a traditional agricultural economy. In order to do this we fit Cobb-Douglas production functions, compute the marginal product of each factor of production, and com-

Chapter II: Utilization and Management of Learning Resources

Abstract: The recent rapid expansion of audiovisual materials available to and used by the schools has been accompanied by an expanded research effort in quest of better utilization and administration of these materials. This chapter explores only selected studies related to this search since space does not permit inclusion of the great mass of literature in both areas. It is hoped that the selections offered here are indicative of trends. One notable exclusion in this chapter has been the utilization of media in teacher education, a topic well covered by the recent comprehensive summary of research by Schueler and Lesser (1967).

A simulation study of resource management in a time-sharing system

Abstract: In general, simulation has two main uses One is to provide a basis for predicting how the system simulated will perform under varied conditions and for determining which conditions are necessary for optimum performance The other is more basic Complex systems can be beyond the scope of human comprehension, and the statistical data generated in a simulation can be used to further the understanding of the interworkings of the system under study The knowledge gained can, in turn, become the basis for further analysis and evaluation Results can improve the performance of the system being simulated, as well as broaden performance goals and attainments of future systems

Forest Harvesting and Water Management

Abstract: Forest harvesting affects water management. Total water yield, flow regime and water quality are affected. Usually, in Western Canada, these effects — whether for good or ill — are accidental and a...

Utilization and Management of Learning Resources

Abstract: The recent rapid expansion of audiovisual materials available to and used by the schools has been accompanied by an expanded research effort in quest of better utilization and administration of these materials. This chapter explores only selected studies related to this search since space does not permit inclusion of the great mass of literature in both areas. It is hoped that the selections offered here are indicative of trends. One notable exclusion in this chapter has been the utilization of media in teacher education, a topic well covered by the recent comprehensive summary of research by Schueler and Lesser (1967).

Objectives of Simulation

Abstract: Steps that must be taken to increase the acceptance of the results of simulation in terms of the decision process by the resource manager are discussed. The actions covered are categorized in terms of the technological content of the practice itself and those relating to the process of the practice. Specific work underway to increase responsiveness and accuracy and to reduce costs are related. Suggestions are drawn from another discipline that are offered as guidelines for gaining acceptance of simulation results and a decision from a resource manager.

Forecasting problems in the gas industry

Abstract: Stresses the importance of forecasting in essential supply industries such as the gas industry with regard to storing the product. Examines some of the problems encountered in this area and how they are dealt with.

An Efficient Program of Water Resource Development in a Framework of Growth and Trade

Abstract: W ATER resource development programs frequently involve a commitment of vast economic resources for long periods of time, thus giving rise to significant interactions with the growth of the economy and its pattern of trade. Decisions concerning investment programs in water systems, therefore, must be taken with reference to the general capital formation process, anticipated technological changes, population growth, demand behavior, present and future trade opportunities, interregional resource movements, and expected changes in the industrial composition of output and income. Hitherto, economic evaluations and analyses of these relationships have been mostly in the form of a cost-benefit analysis in which market prices and interest rates have served as indicators of consumer preferences, production constraints, and trade opportunities. A benefit-cost analysis is based essentially on a partial equilibrium approach dealing primarily with inputs and outputs closely related to the water resource system. Relations with more remote sectors of the economy are assumed to be reflected in the prices used in the analysis. Several economists have stressed the idea that optimal public investment programs should be defined with reference to the objective functions of policy-makers, and that this should be represented in the benefit-cost analyses [4, 7, 8]. Specifically, a benefit-cost analysis is conducive to an optimal water resource development program if the prices (and interest rates) used in the analysis correspond to the shadow prices and interest rates associated with the maximization of the policy objectives under the prevailing constraints. It is widely accepted that, in a fully employed and competitive economy, market prices in effect may satisfy this requirement. However, it is also generally recognized that market imperfections, externalities, and other distorting factors may create significant divergences between observed market prices and the appropriate shadow prices. Furthermore, since water resource development plans ordinarily span long time periods, forecasts of future prices must be used in addition to current ob-