An M/G/1 retrial G-queue with non-exhaustive random vacations and an unreliable server

This paper deals with an M/G/1 retrial queue with negative customers and non-exhaustive random vacations subject to the server breakdowns and repairs. Arrivals of both positive customers and negative customers are two independent Poisson processes. A breakdown at the busy server is represented by the arrival of a negative customer which causes the customer being in service to be lost. The server takes a vacation of random length after an exponential time when the server is up. We develop a new method to discuss the stable condition by finding absorb distribution and using the stable condition of a classical M/G/1 queue. By applying the supplementary variable method, we obtain the steady-state solutions for both queueing measures and reliability quantities. Moreover, we investigate the stochastic decomposition law. We also analyse the busy period of the system. Some special cases of interest are discussed and some known results have been derived. Finally, an application to cellular mobile networks is provided and the effects of various parameters on the system performance are analysed numerically.     

Analytic and numerical aspects of batch service queues with single vacation

This paper deals with an M/G/1 batch service queue where customers are served in batches of maximum size b with a minimum threshold value a. The server takes a single vacation when he finds less than a customers after the service completion. The vacation time of the server is arbitrarily distributed. Using the supplementary variable method we obtain the probability generating functions of the queue length distributions at various epochs. We also obtain relations among queue length distributions at arbitrary, service (vacation) termination epochs. Further their evaluation is also discussed. Finally, some numerical results and graphs are presented.     

The analysis of the M/M/1 queue with two vacation policies (M/M/1/SWV+MV)

We consider an M/M/1 queue with two vacation policies which comprise single working vacation and multiple vacations, denoted by M/M/1/SMV+MV. Using two methods (called R-matrix method and G-matrix method), we obtain the stationary distribution of queue length (including the customer being in service) and make further analysis on the stationary numbers of customers in the working vacation and vacation period, respectively. The stochastic decomposition results of stationary queue length and the sojourn time of a customer are also derived. Meanwhile, we show that a simple and direct method of decomposition developed in Liu et al. [Stochastic decompositions in the M/M/1 queue with working vacations, Oper. Res. Lett. 35 (2007), pp. 595–600] is also applicable to our model. Furthermore, busy period is analysed by the limiting theorem of alternative renewal process. Finally, some boundary properties and numerical analysis on performance measures are presented.     

A batch arrival queue with a vacation time under single vacation policy

We consider an M^x/G/1 queueing system with a vacation time under single vacation policy, where the server takes exactly one vacation between two successive busy periods. We derive the steady state queue size distribution at different points in times, as well as the steady state distributions of busy period and unfinished work (backlog) of this model.Scope and purposeThis paper addresses issues of model building of manufacturing systems of job-shop type, where the server takes exactly one vacation after the end of each busy period. This vacation can be utilized as a post processing time after clearing the jobs in the system. To be more realistic, we further assume that the arrivals occur in batches of random size instead of single units and it covers many practical situations. For example in manufacturing systems of job-shop type, each job requires to manufacture more than one unit; in digital communication systems, messages which are transmitted could consist of a random number of packets. These manufacturing systems can be modeled by M^x/G/1 queue with a single vacation policy and this extends the results of Levy and Yechiali, Manage Sci 22 (1975) 202, and Doshi, Queueing Syst 1 (1986) 29.     

An improved truncation technique to analyze a Geo/PH/1 retrial queue with impatient customers

This paper considers a discrete-time retrial queue with impatient customers. We establish the global balance equations of the Markov chain describing the system evolution and prove that this queueing system is stable as long as the customers are strict impatient and the mean retrial time is finite. Direct truncation with matrix decomposition is used to approximate the steady-state distribution of the system state and hence derive a set of performance measures. The proposed matrix decomposition scheme is presented in a general form which is applicable to any finite Markov chain of the GI/M/1-type. It represents a generalization of the Gaver–Jacobs–Latouche's algorithm that deals with QBD process. Different sets of numerical results are presented to test the efficiency of this technique compared to the generalized truncation one. Moreover, an emphasis is put on the effect of impatience on the main performance measures.     

An enhanced algorithm to solve multiserver retrial queueing systems with impatient customers

The homogenization of the state space for solving retrial queues refers to an approach, where the performance of the M/M/c retrial queue with impatient customers and c servers is approximated with a retrial queue with a maximum retrial rate restricted beyond a given number of users in the orbit. As a consequence, the stationary distribution can be obtained by the matrix-geometric method, which requires the computation of the rate matrix. In this paper, we revisit an approach based on the homogenization of the state space. We provide the exact expression for the conditional mean number of customers based on the computation of the rate matrix R with the time complexity of O(c). We develop simplified equations for the memory-efficient implementation of the computation of the performance measures. We construct an efficient algorithm for the stationary distribution with the determination of a threshold that allows the computation of performance measures with a specific accuracy.     

The M/G/1 processor-sharing queue with disasters

n this paper, the M/G/1 processor-sharing queue with disasters is given a detailed analysis by means of extending the supplementary variable method. The transient and steady-state distributions of the queue length are expressed as a simple and computable form, the Laplace-Stieltjes transform of the sojourn time is derived, and the Laplace transform of the busy period and its mean are obtained. Also, the approach developed in this paper is shown to be able to study more complicated M/G/1 processor-sharing models.     

Information theoretic approximations for M/G/1 and G/G/1 queuing systems

Summary This paper presents new results concerning the use of information theoretic inference techniques in system modeling and concerning the widespread applicability of certain simple queuing theory formulas. For the case when an M/G/1 queue provides a reasonable system model but when information about the service time probability density is limited to knowledge of a few moments, entropy maximization and cross-entropy minimization are used to derive information theoretic approximations for various performance distributions such as queue length, waiting time, residence time, busy period, etc. Some of these approximations are shown to reduce to exact M/M/1 results when G = M. For the case when a G/G/1 queue provides a reasonable system model, but when information about the arrival and service distributions is limited to the average arrival and service rates, it is shown that various well known M/M/1 formulas are information theoretic approximations. These results not only provide a new method for approximating the performance distributions, but they help to explain the widespread applicability of the M/M/1 formulas.     

A discrete-time retrial queue with negative customers and unreliable server

This paper treats a discrete-time single-server retrial queue with geometrical arrivals of both positive and negative customers in which the server is subject to breakdowns and repairs. Positive customers who find sever busy or down are obliged to leave the service area and join the retrial orbit. They request service again after some random time. If the server is found idle or busy, the arrival of a negative customer will break the server down and simultaneously kill the positive customer under service if any. But the negative customer has no effect on the system if the server is down. The failed server is sent to repair immediately and after repair it is assumed as good as new. We analyze the Markov chain underlying the queueing system and obtain its ergodicity condition. The generating functions of the number of customers in the orbit and in the system are also obtained along with the marginal distributions of the orbit size when the server is idle, busy or down. Finally, some numerical examples show the influence of the parameters on some crucial performance characteristics of the system.     

On a batch arrival Poisson queue with a random setup time and vacation period

The single server queue with vacation has been extended to include several types of extensions and generalisations, to which attention has been paid by several researchers (e.g. see Doshi, B. T., Single server queues with vacations — a servey. Queueing Systems, 1986, 1, 29–66; Takagi, H., Queueing Analysis: A Foundation of Performance evaluation, Vol. 1, Vacation and Priority systems, Part. 1. North Holland, Amsterdam, 1991; Medhi, J., Extensions and generalizations of the classical single server queueing system with Poisson input. J. Ass. Sci. Soc., 1994, 36, 35–41, etc.). The interest in such types of queues have been further enhanced in resent years because of their theoretical structures as well as their application in many real life situations such as computer, telecommunication, airline scheduling as well as production/inventory systems. This paper concerns the model building of such a production/inventory system, where machine undergoes extra operation (such as machine repair, preventive maintenance, gearing up machinery, etc.) before the processing of raw material is to be started. To be realistic, we also assume that raw materials arrive in batch. This production system can be formulated as an M^x/M/1 queues with a setup time. Further, from the utility point of view of idle time this model can also be formulated as a case of multiple vacation model, where vacation begins at the end of each busy period. Besides, the production/inventory systems, such a model is generally fitted to airline scheduling problems also. In this paper an attempt has been made to study the steady state behavior of such an M^x/M/1 queueing system with a view to provide some system performance measures, which lead to remarkable simplification when solving other similar types of queueing models.This paper deals with the steady state behaviour of a single server batch arrival Poisson queue with a random setup time and a vacation period. The service of the first customer in each busy period is preceded by a random setup period, on completion of which service starts. As soon as the system becomes empty the server goes on vacation for a random length of time. On return from vacation, if he finds customer(s) waiting, the server starts servicing the first customer in the queue. Otherwise it takes another vacation and so on. We study the steady state behaviour of the queue size distribution at random (stationary) point of time as well as at departure point of time and try to show that departure point queue size distribution can be decomposed into three independent random variables, one of which is the queue size of the standard M^x/M/1 queue. The interpretation of the other two random variables will also be provided. Further, we derive analytically explicit expressions for the system state (number of customers in the system) probabilities and provide their appropriate interpretations. Also, we derive some system performance measures. Finally, we develop a procedure to find mean waiting time of an arbitrary customer.     

A pseudoconservation law for a time-limited service polling system with structured batch poisson arrivals

We consider a cyclic-service queueing system (polling system) with time-limited service, in which the length of a service period for each queue is controlled by a timer, i.e., the server serves customers until the timer expires or the queue becomes empty, whichever occurs first, and then proceeds to the next queue. The customer whose service is interrupted due to the timer expiration is attended according to the nonpreemptive service discipline. For the cyclic-service system with structured batch Poisson arrivals (M^x/G/1) and an exponential timer, we derive a pseudoconservation law and an exact mean waiting time formula for the symmetric system.     

Maximum entropy analysis of the M[x]/M/1 queueing system with multiple vacations and server breakdowns

We consider a single unreliable sever in an M^[x]/M/1 queueing system with multiple vacations. As soon as the system becomes empty, the server leaves the system for a vacation of exponential length. When he returns from the vacation, if there are customers waiting in the queue, he begins to serve the customers; otherwise, another vacation is taken. Breakdown times and repair times of the server are assumed to obey a negative exponential distribution. Arrival rate varies according to the server’s status: vacation, busy, or breakdown. Using the maximum entropy principle, we develop the approximate formulae for the probability distributions of the number of customers in the system which is used to obtain various system performance measures. We perform a comparative analysis between the exact results and the maximum entropy results. We demonstrate, through the maximum entropy results, that the maximum entropy principle approach is accurate enough for practical purposes.     

The M/G/1 retrial queue with Bernoulli schedules and general retrial times

This paper is concerned with the analysis of a single-server queue with Bernoulli vacation schedules and general retrial times. We assume that the customers who find the server busy are queued in the orbit in accordance with an FCFS (first-come-first-served) discipline and only the customer at the head of the queue is allowed access to the server. We first present the necessary and sufficient condition for the system to be stable and derive analytical results for the queue length distribution, as well as some performance measures of the system under steady-state condition. We show that the general stochastic decomposition law for M/G/1 vacation models holds for the present system also. Some special cases are also studied.     

Alternating priority queues with non-zero switch rule

There are two queues and a single server. The server serves the two queues alternately according to a non-zero switch rule. That is, the server continues to serve without interruption in queue i until k_i customers are served or until the queue there becomes empty, whichever happens first, i = 1, 2. Customers arrive at the two queues according to two independent Poisson processes. The service times of the customers in each queue have a general distribution. In this paper, distributions of busy periods and waiting times are studied and pointed out the difficulties to obtain an explicit analytic expression for the mean waiting time. The non-zero switch rule is compared with the zero switch rule (k₁ = k₂ = ∞), in terms of the mean waiting times. Since an analytic comparison of waiting times is found to be difficult, a numerical comparison is done by means of simulation. The simulation results show also, how the waiting times are sensitive to the switch parameters k₁ and k₂.     

A discrete-time single-server queue with a modified N -policy

We consider a discrete-time single-server queue where the idle server waits for reaching a level N in the queue size to start a batch service of N messages, although the following arrivals during the busy period receive single services. We find the stationary distributions of the queue and system lengths as well as some performance measures. The vacation and busy periods of the system and the number of messages served during a busy period are also analyzed. The stationary distributions of the time spent waiting in the queue and in the system are studied too. Finally, a total expected cost function is developed to determine the optimal operating N-policy at minimum cost.     

Information theoretic analysis for a general queueing system at equilibrium with application to queues in tandem

Summary In this paper, information theoretic inference methology for system modeling is applied to estimate the probability distribution for the number of customers in a general, single server queueing system with infinite capacity utilized by an infinite customer population. Limited to knowledge of only the mean number of customers and system equilibrium, entropy maximization is used to obtain an approximation for the number of customers in the G¦ G¦1 queue. This maximum entropy approximation is exact for the case of G=M, i.e., the M¦M¦1 queue. Subject to both independent and dependent information, an estimate for the joint customer distribution for queueing systems in tandem is presented. Based on the simulation of two queues in tandem, numerical comparisons of the joint maximum entropy distribution is given. These results serve to establish the validity of the inference technique and as an introduction to information theoretic approximation to queueing networks.This work was supported under a Naval Research Laboratory Fellowship under Grant N00014-83G-0203 and under an ONR Grant N00014-84K-0614 Former address:Westinghouse Defense and Electronics Center, Baltimore, MD, USA     

具有优先权的M/G/1重试可修排队系统

在服务台忙的情况下, 到达服务台的顾客以概率 q 进入无限位置的优先队列而以概率 p 进入无限位置的重试轨道 (orbit), 并且按照先到先服务 (FCFS) 规则排队, 假定只有队首的顾客允许重试, 同时考虑服务台可修的因素, 证明了系统稳态解存在的充要条件. 利用补充变量法求得稳态时两个队列与系统的平均队长、顾客等待时间、服务台的各种状态概率以及可靠性指标.     

On a single server queue with two-stage heterogeneous service and deterministic server vacations

We analyse a single server queue with Poisson arrivals, two stages of heterogeneous service with different general (arbitrary) service time distributions and binomial schedule server vacations with deterministic (constant) vacation periods. After first-stage service the server must provide the second stage service. However, after the second stage service, he may take a vacation or may decide to stay on in the system. For convenience, we designate our model as M/G ₁, G ₂/D/1 queue. We obtain steady state probability generating function of the queue length for various states of the server. Results for some particular cases of interest such as M/E_{k 1} , E_{k 2} /D/1, M/M ₁, M ₂/D/1, M/E _k /D/1 and M/G ₁, G ₂/1 have been obtained from the main results and some known results including M/E_k /1 and M/G/1 have been derived as particular cases of our particular cases.     

The effect of workers with different capabilities on customer delay

Many service facilities operate seven days per week. The operations managers of these facilities face the problem of allocating personnel of varying skills and work speed to satisfy the demand for services. Furthermore, for practical reasons, periodic staffing schedule is implemented regularly. We introduce a novel approach for modeling periodic staffing schedule and analyzing the impact of employee variability on customer delay. The problem is formulated as a multiple server vacation queueing system with Bernoulli feedback of customers. At any point in time, at most one server can serve the customers. Each server incur a durations of set-up time before they can serve the customers. The customer service time and server set-up time may depend on the server. The service process is unreliable in the sense that it is possible for the customer at service completion to rejoin the queue and request for more service. The customer arrival process is assumed to satisfy a linear–quadratic model of uncertainty. We will present transient and steady-state analysis on the queueing model. The transient analysis provides a stability condition for the system to reach steady state. The steady-state analysis provides explicit expressions for several performance measures of the system. For the special case of M^X/G/1 vacation queue with a gated or exhaustive service policy and Bernoulli feedback, our result reduces to a previously known result. Lastly, we show that a variant of our periodic staffing schedule model can be used to analyze queues with permanent customers. For the special case of M/G/1 queue with permanent customers and Bernoulli feedback of ordinary customers, we obtain results previously given by Boxma and Cohen (IEEE J. Select. Areas Commun. 9 (1991) 179) and van den Berg (Sojourn Times in Feedback and Processor Sharing Queues, CWI Tracts, vol. 97, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1993).Scope and purposeWorkforce scheduling is a classical problem and has been studied by many researchers. The problem is usually formulated with homogeneous workforce as part of the assumption. Clearly, non-homogeneous workforce is a fact of life for many organizations. Operations manager would prefer to have skills and experience worker as it would improve the quality of the services provided. Ignoring the effect of employees with varying skills and work speed would seriously undermine the effectiveness of the services provided and lead to significant undesirable outcomes for the organization. This paper aims as a first step to fill the gap of past research. We present a novel approach to analyze the issue of non-homogeneous workforce on stability of work flows and the effect of workers with different capabilities on customers’ waiting time. We believe that the results are useful for operations manager dealing with non-homogeneous workforce.