Approximate Analysis of an Unreliable M/M/2 Retrial Queue

This thesis considers the performance evaluation of an M/M/2 retrial queue for which both servers are subject to active and idle breakdowns. Customers may abandon service requests if they are blocked from service upon arrival, or if their service is interrupted by a server failure. Customers choosing to remain in the system enter a retrial orbit for a random amount of time before attempting to re-access an available server. We assume that each server has its own dedicated repair person, and repairs begin immediately following a failure. Interfailure times, repair times and times between retrials are exponentially distributed, and all processes are assumed to be mutually independent. Modeling the number of customers in the orbit and status of the servers as a continuous-time Markov chain, we employ a phase-merging algorithm to approximately analyze the limiting behavior. Subsequently, we derive approximate expressions for several congestion and delay measures. Using a benchmark simulation model, we assess the accuracy of the approximations and show that, when the algorithm assumptions are met, the approximation procedure yields favorable results. However, as the rate of abandonment for blocked arrivals decreases, the performance declines while the results are insensitive to the rate of abandonment of customers preempted by a server failure

A Retrial Queueing Model With Thresholds and Phase Type Retrial Times

There is an extensive literature on retrial queueing models. While a majority of the literature on retrial queueing models focuses on the retrial times to be exponentially distributed (so as to keep the state space to be of a reasonable size), a few papers deal with nonexponential retrial times but with some additional restrictions such as constant retrial rate, only the customer at the head of the retrial queue will attempt to capture a free server, 2-state phase type distribution, and finite retrial orbit. Generally, the retrial queueing models are analyzed as level-dependent queues and hence one has to use some type of a truncation method in performing the analysis of the model. In this paper we study a retrial queueing model with threshold-type policy for orbiting customers in the context of nonexponential retrial times. Using matrix-analytic methods we analyze the model and compare with the classical retrial queueing model through a few illustrative numerical examples. We also compare numerically our threshold retrial queueing model with a previously published retrial queueing model that uses a truncation method

EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON QUEUEING THEORY 2016

International audienceThis booklet contains the proceedings of the second European Conference in Queueing Theory (ECQT) that was held from the 18th to the 20th of July 2016 at the engineering school ENSEEIHT, Toulouse, France. ECQT is a biannual event where scientists and technicians in queueing theory and related areas get together to promote research, encourage interaction and exchange ideas. The spirit of the conference is to be a queueing event organized from within Europe, but open to participants from all over the world. The technical program of the 2016 edition consisted of 112 presentations organized in 29 sessions covering all trends in queueing theory, including the development of the theory, methodology advances, computational aspects and applications. Another exciting feature of ECQT2016 was the institution of the Takács Award for outstanding PhD thesis on "Queueing Theory and its Applications"

Unreliable Retrial Queues in a Random Environment

This dissertation investigates stability conditions and approximate steady-state performance measures for unreliable, single-server retrial queues operating in a randomly evolving environment. In such systems, arriving customers that find the server busy or failed join a retrial queue from which they attempt to regain access to the server at random intervals. Such models are useful for the performance evaluation of communications and computer networks which are characterized by time-varying arrival, service and failure rates. To model this time-varying behavior, we study systems whose parameters are modulated by a finite Markov process. Two distinct cases are analyzed. The first considers systems with Markov-modulated arrival, service, retrial, failure and repair rates assuming all interevent and service times are exponentially distributed. The joint process of the orbit size, environment state, and server status is shown to be a tri-layered, level-dependent quasi-birth-and-death (LDQBD) process, and we provide a necessary and sufficient condition for the positive recurrence of LDQBDs using classical techniques. Moreover, we apply efficient numerical algorithms, designed to exploit the matrix-geometric structure of the model, to compute the approximate steady-state orbit size distribution and mean congestion and delay measures. The second case assumes that customers bring generally distributed service requirements while all other processes are identical to the first case. We show that the joint process of orbit size, environment state and server status is a level-dependent, M/G/1-type stochastic process. By employing regenerative theory, and exploiting the M/G/1-type structure, we derive a necessary and sufficient condition for stability of the system. Finally, for the exponential model, we illustrate how the main results may be used to simultaneously select mean time customers spend in orbit, subject to bound and stability constraints

An integrated approach to solving retrial queue complexity

Retrial queues have been proposed in literature as a means of managing lost traffic in wireless cellular networks. However, the retrial queue system has led to a more complex Markovic process in network analysis. This complexity is further worsened by the addition of handover prioritization. In this paper, a solution that can minimize this complexity has been studied. The solution involves an integration of computational and analytical modeling techniques. The work was simulated and tested in Matlab/Simulink with guard channels as a handover prioritization scheme. Further evaluations were carried out on the effect of blocking probability (PB) as a quality of service (QoS) parameter. Numerical results obtained from the integrated approach show that the retrial queue reduces the PB for all requests (new and handover). The result obtained from this paper simplifies the solution to the complexity found in retrial queue systems. Furthermore, it was also deduced that reduced retrial rate with corresponding increase in the retrial queue size improves the network quality without an increase in system complexity.Keywords: Markov, retrial, probability, network, traffi

Preemptive Resume Priority Call Center Model with Two Classes of MAP Arrivals

Generally in call centers, voice calls (say Type 1 calls) are given higher priority over e-mails (say Type 2 calls). An arriving Type 1 call has a preemptive priority over a Type 2 call in service, if any, and the preempted Type 2 call enters into a retrial buffer (of finite capacity). Any arriving call not able to get into service immediately will enter into the pool of repeated calls provided the buffer is not full; otherwise, the call is considered lost. The calls in the retrial pool are treated alike (like Type 1) and compete for service after a random amount of time, and can preempt a Type 2 call in service. We assume that the two types of calls arrive according to a Markovian arrival process (MAP) and the services are offered with preemptive priority rule. Under the assumption that the service times are exponentially distributed with possibly different rates, we analyze the model using matrix-analytic methods. Illustrative numerical examples to bring out the qualitative aspects of the model under study are presented

Error bounds for last-column-block-augmented truncations of block-structured Markov chains

This paper discusses the error estimation of the last-column-block-augmented northwest-corner truncation (LC-block-augmented truncation, for short) of block-structured Markov chains (BSMCs) in continuous time. We first derive upper bounds for the absolute difference between the time-averaged functionals of a BSMC and its LC-block-augmented truncation, under the assumption that the BSMC satisfies the general $f$-modulated drift condition. We then establish computable bounds for a special case where the BSMC is exponentially ergodic. To derive such computable bounds for the general case, we propose a method that reduces BSMCs to be exponentially ergodic. We also apply the obtained bounds to level-dependent quasi-birth-and-death processes (LD-QBDs), and discuss the properties of the bounds through the numerical results on an M/M/$s$ retrial queue, which is a representative example of LD-QBDs. Finally, we present computable perturbation bounds for the stationary distribution vectors of BSMCs.Comment: This version has fixed the bugs for the positions of Figures 1 through

Single server retrial queueing models.

Most retrial queueing research assumes that each retrial customer has its own orbit, and the retrial customers retry to enter service independently of each other. A small selection of papers assume that the retrial customers themselves form a queue, and only one customer from the retrial queue can attempt to enter at any given time. Retrial queues with exponential retrial times have been extensively studied, but little attention has been paid to retrial queues with general retrial times. In this thesis, we consider four retrial queueing models of the type in which the retrial customers form their own queue. Model I is a type of M/G/1 retrial queue with general retrial times and server subject to breakdowns and repairs. In addition, we allow the customer in service to leave the service position and keep retrying for service until the server has been repaired. After repair, the server is not allowed to begin service on other customers until the current customer (in service) returns from its temporary absence. We say that the server is in reserved mode, when the current customer is absent and the server has already been repaired. We define the server to be blocked if the server is busy, under repair or in reserved mode. In Model II, we consider a single unreliable server retrial queue with general retrial times and balking customers. If an arriving primary customer finds the server blocked, the customer either enters a retrial queue with probability p or leaves the system with probability 1 - p. An unsuccessful arriving customer from the retrial queue either returns to its position at the head of the retrial queue with probability q or leaves the system with the probability 1 - q. If the server fails, the customer in service either remains in service with probability r or enters a retrial service orbit with probability 1 - r and keeps returning until the server is repaired. We give a formal description for these two retrial queueing models, with examples. The stability of the system is analyzed by using an embedded Markov chain. We get a necessary and sufficient condition for the ergodicity of the embedded Markov chain. By employing the method of supplementary variables, we describe the state of the system at each point in time. A system of partial differential equations related to the models is derived from a stochastic analysis of the model. The steady state distribution of the system is obtained by means of probability generating functions. In steady state, some performance measures of the system are reported, the distribution of some important performance characteristics in the waiting process are investigated, and the busy period is discussed. In addition, some numerical results are given. Model III consists of a single-server retrial queue with two primary sources and both a retrial queue and retrial orbits. Some results are obtained using matrix analytic methods. Also simulation results are obtained. Model IV consists of a single server system in which the retrial customers form a queue. The service times are discrete. A stability condition and performance measures are presented.Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2005 .W87. Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-07, Section: B, page: 3883. Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2006