Wake a Timed Job Scheduler When Its Earliest Task Changes

Implement the scheduling logic for timed jobs using a priority queue. When a new job becomes the earliest queued job, wake the scheduler so it can reset its wait. Otherwise, let the current timer wake it. On waking, dispatch all due jobs to workers and wait for the next deadline. ### Constraints & Assumptions - New tasks can arrive while the scheduler is waiting. - The queue is ordered by scheduled execution time. - Clock semantics, equal-deadline order, worker capacity, and persistence requirements must be clarified. - This is a concurrent scheduling exercise, not a supplied deterministic batch function. ### Clarifying Questions to Ask - Are deadlines absolute wall-clock times or relative delays? - Can jobs be canceled or rescheduled, or only inserted? - What happens if the worker queue cannot accept a due job immediately? ```hint Checking the next deadline and entering the wait must coordinate with insertion; otherwise an earlier task can arrive between those operations and its wake-up can be lost. ``` ### What a Strong Answer Covers Use a min-heap and a synchronized condition or equivalent timer protocol. Explain the insertion wake rule, atomic wait setup, rechecking after every wake, dispatch of all due tasks, and execution outside the scheduling lock. ### Follow-up Questions - Why must the wait be inside a loop even without a new task? - How would deleting the current earliest task affect the timer? - How would a wall-clock adjustment affect absolute deadlines?