A system that reduces execution time of a parallel SVM application. During operation, the system partitions an input data set into chunks of data. Next, the system distributes the partitioned chunks of data across a plurality of available computing nodes and executes the parallel SVM application on the chunks of data in parallel across the plurality of available computing nodes. The system then determines if a first timeout period has been exceeded before all of the plurality of available computing nodes have finished processing their respective chunks of data. If so, the system (1) repartitions the input data set into different chunks of data; (2) redistributes the repartitioned chunks of data across some or all of the plurality of available computing nodes; and (3) executes the parallel SVM application on the repartitioned chunks of data in parallel across some or all of the available computing nodes.