Efficient Scheduling for GPU-Based Neural Network Training via Hybrid Reinforcement Learning and Metaheuristic Optimization

On GPU-based clusters, the training workloads of machine learning (ML) models, particularly neural networks (NNs), are often structured as Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs) and typically deployed for parallel execution across heterogeneous GPU resources. Efficient scheduling of these workloads is crucial for optimizing performance metrics such as execution time, under various constraints including GPU heterogeneity, network capacity, and data dependencies. DAG-structured ML workload scheduling could be modeled as a Nonlinear Integer Program (NIP) problem, and is shown to be NP-complete. By leveraging a positive correlation between Scheduling Plan Distance (SPD) and Finish Time Gap (FTG) identified through an empirical study, we propose to develop a Running Time Gap Strategy for scheduling based on Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) and Reinforcement Learning, referred to as WORL-RTGS. The proposed method integrates the global search capabilities of WOA with the adaptive decision-making of Double Deep Q-Networks (DDQN). Particularly, we derive a novel function to generate effective scheduling plans using DDQN, enhancing adaptability to complex DAG structures. Comprehensive evaluations on practical ML workload traces collected from Alibaba on simulated GPU-enabled platforms demonstrate that WORL-RTGS significantly improves WOA’s stability for DAG-structured ML workload scheduling and reduces completion time by up to 66.56% compared with five state-of-the-art scheduling algorithms.