A wide variety of software systems employ closed loops (feedback) to achieve service level objectives and to optimize resource usage. Control theory provides a systematic approach to constructing closed loop systems, and is widely used in disciplines such as mechanical and electrical engineering. This paper describes recent advances in applying control theory to computing systems, and identifies research challenges to address so that control engineering can be widely used by software practitioners.
['Joseph L. Hellerstein', 'Sharad Singhal', 'Qian Wang']
Research challenges in control engineering of computing systems