Energy-aware workflow scheduling in fog computing using a hybrid chaotic algorithm

Fog computing paradigm attempts to provide diverse processing at the edge of IoT networks. Energy usage being one of the important elements that may have a direct influence on the performance of fog environment. Effective scheduling systems, in which activities are mapped on the greatest feasible resources to meet various competing priorities, can reduce energy use. Consequently, a hybrid discrete optimization method called HDSOS-GOA, which uses the Dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) approach, is proposed to handle scientific workflow scheduling challenges in the fog computing environment. HDSOS-GOA combines the search qualities of Symbiotic Organisms Search (SOS) and the Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm (GOA) algorithms and the selection of these algorithms for performing workflow scheduling is based on the probability calculated by the learning automata. The HEFT method is used to determine the task sequence. Our solution focuses on reducing the energy consumption of the scheduling process by reducing the number of Virtual Machines required for workflow execution in addition to optimizing the makespan. Comprehensive experiments are carried out on four different scientific workflows with different sizes with and without deadline constraints to evaluate the performance of the suggested scheduling strategy. The results of the experiments show that scheduling with the suggested approach outperforms other well-known metaheuristic algorithms.