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AbstractOne way of achieving the increased levels of system reliability and availability demanded by critical computer‐based control systems is through the use of fault‐tolerant distributed computer systems. This article addresses the problem of allocating a set of m tasks among a set of n processors in a manner that will satisfy various task assignment, system capacity, and task scheduling constraints while balancing the workload across processors. We discuss problem background, problem formulation, and a known heuristic procedure for the problem. A new solution‐improving heuristic procedure is introduced, and computational experience with the heuristics is presented. With only a modest increase in the amount of computational effort, the new procedure is demonstrated to improve dramatically solution quality as well as obtain near‐optimal solutions to the test problems.

The pedagogical value of experiential learning, or "learning-by-doing," has led to the widespread use of simulations and games in the social sciences and other disciplines. Despite some questions concerning the effective transmission of factual information through simulations and games, their value as heuristic devices in teaching is based on the experience gained by students in adopting strategies and making decisions in a group context, experiences so varied that they would be impossible to relate through conventional classroom techniques. The pressures and constraints of a simulated political environment challenge participants to (1) confront the limited availability of options and approaches for resolving problems; (2) develop a deeper understanding of the concepts, principles, and procedures involved; and (3) formulate and propose novel solutions that may not have otherwise occurred to them.