Transformation and simulation for a generalised queuing problem using a G/G/n/G/+ queuing model

Abstract

We examine a generalised queuing model which we call the G/G/n/G/+ model, which encompasses the G/G/n and G/G/n/s models as special cases. Our model accommodates useful generalisations in user behaviour and limitations on the facilities for the queuing process. Give a set of inputs for the users and facilities, we develop a recursive algorithm that computes all aspects of the queuing process, including the waiting-times, use-times and unserved-times for each user. We also show how the queue can be represented graphically in a "queuing plot". We use our algorithm to undertake simulation analysis to determine the distribution of queuing outputs given specified distributions for the inputs, and we show how this can be used to optimise the number of facilities. We conduct some simple simulations to illustrate the method using standard queuing models. Our method is implemented in various queuing functions in the utilities package in R.