Article ID: | iaor20042540 |
Country: | Netherlands |
Volume: | 125 |
Issue: | 1 |
Start Page Number: | 47 |
End Page Number: | 68 |
Publication Date: | Jan 2004 |
Journal: | Annals of Operations Research |
Authors: | Smith J. MacGregor, Daskalaki Sophia |
Keywords: | queueing networks |
Given a series-parallel queueing network topology with exponential servers of finite capacity, a systematic design methodology is presented that approximately solves the optimal routing and buffer space allocation problems within the network. The multi-objective stochastic nonlinear programming problem in integer variables is described and a two-stage iterative optimization procedure is presented which interconnects the routing and buffer space allocation problems. The algorithmic procedure couples the Expansion method, a decomposition method for computing performance measures in queueing networks with finite capacity, along with Powell's unconstrained optimization procedure which allocates the buffers and a multi-variable search procedure for determining the routing probabilities. The effectiveness and efficiency of the resulting two-stage design methodology is tested and evaluated in a series of experimental designs along with simulations of the network topologies.