Towards mixed criticality task scheduling in cyber physical systems: Challenges and perspectives

• Published in: The Journal of systems and software 2019-10, Vol.156, p.204-216
• Main Authors: Capota, Eugenia Ana, Stangaciu, Cristina Sorina, Micea, Mihai Victor, Curiac, Daniel-Ioan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cyber physical systems; Mixed criticality systems; Multiple processing units; Real-time scheduling
• ISSN: 0164-1212; 1873-1228
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2019.06.099

•The paper surveys the state-of-the-art mixed criticality scheduling algorithms, both for single and multiple processing units.•A comparison of the most notable scheduling algorithms, with a focus on the ones suitable for CPSs is presented.•The necessity to incorporate mixed criticality systems in CPSs is emphasized.•A discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of using mixed criticality scheduling algorithms in CPS is made.•Challenges and future perspectives of mixed criticality scheduling in CPSs are identified. Cyber physical systems (CPSs) are a fast-evolving technology based on a strong synergy between heterogeneous sensing, networking, computation and control modules. When coping with critical applications that require real-time performance and autonomous operation in uncertain conditions, the design of such complex systems is still facing significant difficulties. A particular challenge in this respect derives from the software intensive nature of these systems - the need to develop flexible and specifically tailored task scheduling techniques. In our view, an appropriate line of thinking is to take advantage of mixed criticality concepts following the lessons learned from avionics and automotive domains, where complexity, safety, determinism and real-time constraints are extreme. From this perspective, our work aims at facilitating the integration of mixed criticality systems-based strategy in cyber physical systems by identifying the particularities of the latter and their influence on scheduling mechanisms, by describing the standard mixed-criticality task model in the cyber physical systems context, and by analyzing and proposing the most suitable scheduling algorithms to be implemented in cyber physical systems. Moreover, the perspectives on future developments in this area are discussed, as new horizons in research arise with the integration of mixed criticality concepts in the cyber physical systems context.