A Retrieval Queueing Model With Feedback

A multi-server retrial queuing model with feedback is considered in this paper.Input flow of calls is modeled using a Markovian Arrival Process (M AP) and the service time is assumed to follow an exponential distribution. An arriving call enters into service should there be a free server. Otherwise, in accordance to Bernoulli trials, the call will enter into an infinite orbit (referred to as a retrial orbit) to retry along with other calls to get into service or will leave the system forever. After obtaining a service each call, independent of the others, will either enter into a finite orbit (referred to as a feedback orbit) for another service or leave the system forever. The decision to enter into the feedback orbit or not is done according to another Bernoulli trial. Calls from these two buffers will compete with the main source of calls based on signals received from two independent Poisson processes.The rates of these processes depend on the phase of the M AP. The steady-state analysis of the model is carried out and illustrative numerical examples including economical aspects are presented

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"

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

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

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

Analysis of retrial queueing systems with two-way communication and impatient customers using simulation

The aim of this research is to examine a finite-source retrial queueing system with two-way communication. The primary customers, who arrive from a finite-source following an exponential distribution, either receive service immediately if the service unit is available, or are redirected to the orbit and try again to reach the server after a random period. The system is unique in that when the server becomes idle, an outgoing call (secondary customer) is performed from the orbit or the source with varying parameters. Both primary and secondary customers have been serviced according to an exponential distribution but with different rates. Customers exhibit an impatience characteristic, which may lead to their departure before receiving service if they spend a certain amount of time waiting for the service unit. This investigation conduct a sensitivity analysis on the system’s performance measures by utilizing different distributions of the customers’ retrial time in two separate cases. The findings of the analysis have been presented graphically for comparison purpose

Choice modeling of relook tasks for UAV search missions

This paper addresses human decision-making in supervisory control of a team of unmanned vehicles performing search missions. Previous work has proposed the use of a two-alternative choice framework, in which operators declare the presence or absence of a target in an image. It has been suggested that relooking at a target at some later time can help operators improve the accuracy of their decisions but it is not well understood how - or how well - operators handle this relook task with multiple UAVs. This paper makes two novel contributions in developing a choice model for a search task with relooks. First, we extend a previously proposed queueing model of the human operator by developing a retrial queue model that formally includes relooks. Since real models may deviate from some of the theoretical assumptions made in the requeueing literature, we develop a Discrete Event Simulation (DES) that embeds operator models derived from previous experimental data and present new results in the predicted performance of multi-UAV visual search tasks with relook. Our simulation results suggest that while relooks can in fact improve detection accuracy and decrease mean search times per target, the overall fraction found correctly is extremely sensitive to increased relooks

Operator Choice Modeling for Collaborative UAV Visual Search Tasks

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provide unprecedented access to imagery of possible ground targets of interest in real time. The availability of this imagery is expected to increase with envisaged future missions of one operator controlling multiple UAVs. This research investigates decision models that can be used to develop assistive decision support for UAV operators involved in these complex search missions. Previous human-in-the-loop experiments have shown that operator detection probabilities may decay with increased search time. Providing the operators with the ability to requeue difficult images with the option of relooking at targets later was hypothesized to help operators improve their search accuracy. However, it was not well understood how mission performance could be impacted by operators performing requeues with multiple UAVs. This work extends a queuing model of the human operator by developing a retrial queue model (ReQM) that mathematically describes the use of relooks. We use ReQM to generate performance predictions through discrete event simulation. We validate these predictions through a human-in-the-loop experiment that evaluates the impact of requeuing on a simulated multiple-UAV mission. Our results suggest that, while requeuing can improve detection accuracy and decrease mean search times, operators may need additional decision support to use relooks effectively.Michigan/AFRL Collaborative Center in Control ScienceUnited States. Office of Naval Research (Grant N00014-07-1-0230