On a Switch-Over Policy for Controlling the Workload in a Queueing System with Two Constant Service Rates and Fixed Switch-Over Costs

Abstract

This paper considers an M/G/l queueing system in which the server may be either tvzned on or turned off. The systerr. can be controlled at the errid epochs by taking an action to change t.he current posit,iofi of the server or not . The control is based on the total amount of work remaining to be done in the system. The costs consist of a linear holding cost for the workload and a fixed cost for turning the server on. In this paper it will be shown that among a wide class of policies there is an average cost. optimal policy which belongs to the subclass of the so-called D-policies where a D-policy is a stationary policy thad tarns the server off only when the system is empty and turns the server or only when the workload exceeds hhe level D. MSG, mi alternative derivation of the formula for the average cost of a D-policy will be given.