Abstract
We consider a service system whose servers may work at different rates (systems with 'heterogeneous servers'). Jobs arriving at the system access the servers in accordance with an 'entry order' that relates to the arrangement of the servers. When all servers are occupied, arriving jobs are blocked and lost. This model has applications in the study of the conveyors and other circulation systems. We wish to compare various server arrangements in such systems. We represent the arrangement of servers by a permutation vector of their service rates, and develop a partial order on these vectors. By moving in the direction pointed out by this partial order, one can reduce blocked traffic, thereby improving system performance.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 759-763 |
| Journal | Operations Research |
| Volume | 35 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Publication status | Published - Sept 1987 |
| Externally published | Yes |