Variable Neighborhood Search for the File Transfer Scheduling Problem

Abstract

In this paper a file transfer scheduling problem is considered. This problem is known to be NP-hard, and thus provides a challenging area for metaheuristics. A variable neighborhood search algorithm is designed for the transfer scheduling of files between various nodes of a network, by which the overall transfer times are to be minimized. Optimality of VNS solutions on smaller size instances has been verified by total enumeration. For several larger instances optimality follows from reaching the elementary lower bound of a problem.