Chapter 4

Queuing System
Overview
4.1 Elements of Queuing System
4.2 Characteristics of Queuing System
4.3 Model of Queuing System
4.4 Types of Queuing System
4.5 Queuing Notation
4.6 Measurements of System Performance
4.7 Networks of Queue
4.8 Application of Queuing System
Queuing System
Introduction
• A queueing system consists of one or more servers that provide
service of some kind to arriving customers.
• If the servers are busy, the customers join one or more queues in
front of the servers, hence forming a queueing system.
Queuing System
• Waiting line queues are one of the most important areas, where the
technique of simulation has been extensively employed.
• The waiting lines or queues are a common site in real life.
• People at railway ticket window, vehicles at a petrol pump or at a
traffic signal, workers at a tool crib, products at a machining center,
television sets at a repair shop are a few examples of waiting lines.
 Queuing System
• The waiting line situations arise, either because,
There is too much demand on the service facility so that the
customers or entities have to wait for getting service, or
There is too less demand, in which case the service facility have to
wait for the entities.
• The objective in the analysis of queuing situations is to balance the
waiting time and idle time, so as to keep the total cost at minimum.
Queuing System
• The queuing theory gives the credit of its development to an engineer
A.K. Earlang, who in 1920, studied waiting line queues of telephone
calls in Copenhagen, Denmark.
• The problem was that during the busy period, telephone operators
were unable to handle the calls, there was too much waiting time,
which resulted in customer dissatisfaction.
Queuing System
4.1 Elements of Queuing System
Elements of Queuing System
1. Population of Customers or calling source
• can be considered either limited (closed systems) or unlimited (open systems).
• Unlimited population represents a theoretical model of systems with a large
number of possible customers (a bank on a busy street, a motorway petrol
station).
• Example of a limited population may be a number of processes to be run (served)
by a computer or a certain number of machines to be repaired by a service man.
• It is necessary to take the term "customer" very generally.
• Customers may be people, machines of various nature, computer processes,
telephone calls, etc
4.1 Elements of Queuing System
2. Arrival
• defines the way customers enter the system.
• Mostly the arrivals are random with random intervals between two
adjacent arrivals.
• Typically the arrival is described by a random distribution of intervals
also called Arrival Pattern.
4.1 Elements of Queuing System
3. Queue or waiting line
• represents a certain number of customers waiting for service (of
course the queue may be empty).
• Typically the customer being served is considered not to be in the
queue. Sometimes the customers form a queue literally (people waiting
in a line for a bank teller).
• Sometimes the queue is an abstraction (planes waiting for a runway to
land).
• There are two important properties of a queue: Maximum Size and
Queuing Discipline.
4.1 Elements of Queuing System
• Maximum Queue Size (also called System capacity) is the maximum
number of customers that may wait in the queue (plus the one(s)
being served).
• Queue is always limited, but some theoretical models assume an
unlimited queue length.
• If the queue length is limited, some customers are forced to renounce
without being served.
• Queuing Discipline includes FIFO, LIFO, SPT (Shortest Processing Time
First), etc.
4.2 Characteristics of Queuing System
1. The Calling Population
The population of potential customers in the system.
May be assumed to be finite or limited (closed system) and infinite or
unlimited (open system).
Open system represents model of a system with large number of possible
customers such as in banking system, restaurant system, etc.
Here, the arrival rate to the queuing system is not affected by the number of
customers who have left the calling population and joined the queuing
system.
Finite population may be a number of process to be run by a computer with a
fixed number of processor. The arrival rate to the queuing system depends on
the number of customers being served and waiting.
4.2 Characteristics of Queuing System
2. Arrival Pattern
It defines the way customer enters into the queuing system.
Mostly arrivals are random with random intervals between two adjacent arrival.
Customers may arrive one at a time or in batches. The batches may be of
constant size or of random size.
In an infinite population the arrival rate is not affected by the number of
customers who have left the calling population.
When the arrival process is homogeneous over time the arrival rate is usually
assumed to be constant.
One of the model of random arrivals is the Poisson arrival process which has
been successfully employed as a model of the arrival of people at restaurant,
drive-in-banks, and other service facilities ; the arrival of telephone calls to a call
center, the arrival of demand or order of a product, etc.
4.2 Characteristics of Queuing System
2. Arrival Pattern
A second important class of arrivals is scheduled arrivals such as
patients to a physician’s or scheduled airline flight arrivals to an
airport.
A third situation occurs when at least one customer is assumed to
always be present in the queue so that the server is never idle
because of lack of customers. For example, the customers may
represent raw material for a product, and sufficient raw material is
always assumed to be available.
4.2 Characteristics of Queuing System
3. System capacity
In many queuing systems, there is a limit to the number of customers
that may be in the queue.
Queue represents a certain number of customers waiting for service.
Maximum number of customers that may wait in the queue is the
system capacity or the maximum size of queue.
For simplicity, queue is always made limited in most of the system.
4.2 Characteristics of Queuing System
4. Queue behavior and discipline
Queue behavior refers to the actions of customers while in a queue waiting for a service to
begin.
In some situations, there is a possibility that incoming customers will balk (leave when they see
that the line is too long), renege (leave after being in the line when they see that the line is
moving too slowly), or jockey (move from one line to another if they think they have chosen a
slow line).
Queuing Discipline refers to the logical ordering of customers in a queue and determines which
customer will be chosen for service when a server becomes free. There are these ways:
1) FIFO (First In First Out) also called FCFS (First Come First Serve) - orderly queue.
2) LIFO (Last In First Out) also called LCFS (Last Come First Serve) - stack.
3) SIRO (Serve In Random Order).
4) Shortest Processing Time First (SPT)
5) Service according to Priority (PR)
4.2 Characteristics of Queuing System
5. Service
 represents some activity that takes time and that the customers are
waiting for. Again, take it very generally.
It may be a real service carried on persons or machines, but it may be
a CPU time slice, connection created for a telephone call, being shot
down for an enemy plane, etc.
Typically a service takes random time.
4.2 Characteristics of Queuing System
6. Output
Output represents the way customers leave the system.
Output is mostly ignored by theoretical models, but sometimes the
customers leaving the server enter the queue again ("round robin"
time-sharing systems).
4.3 Model of Queuing System
• Model of a queue can be categorized as:
1. Single Server Queue System
2. Multiple Server Queue System
Single Queue Multiple Server System
Multiple Queue Multiple Server System
4.3 Model of Queuing System
1. Single Server Queue System
4.3 Model of Queuing System
2. Multiple Server Queue System
a. Single Queue Multiple Server System
4.3 Model of Queuing System
2. Multiple Server Queue System
b. Multiple Queue Multiple Server System
4.4 Types of Queuing System
1. Structured Queue
Here, queue is formed in a fixed, predictable position, such as at supermarket
checkouts, and other locations such as banks or airport security.
2. Unstructured Queue
Here, queue is formed in unpredictable and varying locations and directions. This
is often in the case of some forms of retail, taxi queues, ATMs and at periods of
high demand in many situations.
3. Kiosk Based Queue
Often used for medical, banking and many governmental services locations. As
people arrive, they enter basic information into a kiosk about themselves and
reason for their visit. The information is organized and presented to staff to allow
for faster customer service response.
4.5 Queueing Notations
• Kendall has proposed a notational system for queue in 1953. Its
several modifications is available however the most comprehensive
classification uses 6 symbols: A/B/s/q/c/p where:
A is the arrival pattern (distribution of intervals between arrivals).
B is the service pattern (distribution of service duration).
s is the number of servers.
q is the queuing discipline (FIFO, LIFO, ...). Omitted for FIFO or if not
specified.
c is the system capacity. Omitted for unlimited queues.
p is the population size (number of possible customers). Omitted for
open systems.
Kendall Classification of Queuing Systems
• These symbols are used for arrival and service patterns:
M is the Poisson (Markovian) process with exponential distribution of
intervals or service duration respectively.
Em is the Erlang distribution of intervals or service duration.
D is the symbol for deterministic (known) arrivals and constant
service duration.
G is a general (any) distribution
Kendall Classification of Queuing Systems
Examples:
1. D/M/1
 The arrival pattern of customer is deterministic i.e. (known) input,
The service pattern is exponentially distributed,
Number of server is 1,
Queueing discipline is FIFO,
System capacity is unlimited,
unlimited customer population.
Kendall Classification of Queuing Systems
2. M/G/3/20
The arrival pattern of customer follows Poisson’s distribution,
Service pattern is any general distribution,
Number of server is 3,
Queuing discipline is FIFO,
maximum number of customers that can be served is 20,
unlimited customer population.
Kendall Classification of Queuing Systems
3. D/M/1/LIFO/10/50
 The arrival pattern of customer is deterministic,
The service pattern is exponentially distributed,
Number of server is one,
queue is a stack of the maximum size 9,
total number of customers 50.
Kendall Classification of Queuing Systems
4. M/M/3/FCFS/20/1500
Time between successive arrivals is exponentially distributed
Service times are exponentially distributed
Three servers
Service discipline is first-come-first -served
Maximum customers to be served is 20 i.e. 20 buffers = 3 service + 17
waiting.
Total of 1500 jobs are waiting to be serviced
4.6 Measures of system performance
• The performance of a queuing system can be evaluated in terms of a
number of response parameters, however the following four are
generally employed.
1. Average number of customers in the queue or in the system
2. Average waiting time of the customers in the queue or in the system
3. System utilization
4. The cost of the waiting time & idle time
4.6 Measures of System Performance
• The knowledge of average number of customers in the queue or in
the system helps to determine the space requirements of the waiting
entities. Also too long a waiting line may discourage the prospectus
customers, while no queue may suggest that service offered is not of
good quality to attract customers.
• The knowledge of average waiting time in the queue is necessary for
determining the cost of waiting in the queue.
System/Server Utilization
• System Utilization is the percentage of the system capacity that has been
utilized which reflects that extent to which the facility is busy rather than
idle.
• System utilization factor (s) is the ratio of average arrival rate (λ) to the
average service rate (μ).
S= λ/μ in the case of a single server model
S= λ/μn, in the case of a “n” server model
• The system utilization can be increased by increasing the arrival rate
which amounts to increasing the average queue length as well as the
average waiting time. Under the normal circumstances 100% system
utilization is not a realistic goal.
M/M/1 Queue
• The most commonly used type of queue.
• Used to model single processor systems or individual devices in a computer
system.
Assumption
Interarrival rate of λ -> exponentially distributed
Service rate of μ -> exponentially distributed
Single server
FCFS
Unlimited queue lengths allowed
Infinite number of customers
Analysis of M/M/1 queue
• Given:
λ : Arrival rate of jobs (packets on input link)
μ : Service rate of the server (output link)
System utilization factor (s) = λ/ μ
Solve:
L: average number of customers in queuing system: L= λ/ (μ- λ)
Lq : average number in the queue: Lq = λ2 / (μ(μ- λ))
W: average waiting time in whole system: W= L/ λ
Wq : average waiting time in the queue: Wq = w – (1/ μ)
Analysis of M/M/1 queue: Example 1
• Example 1: If arrivals are occurring at rate λ = 10 per hour and management
has the choice of two servers, one who works at rate μ1 = 11 customers per
hour and the second at rate μ2 = 12 customers per hour, then:
The respective system utilization would be: s1 = λ / μ1 = 10/11 = 0.909 and
s2 = λ / μ2 = 10/12 = 0.833.
With the first server the average number in the system would be:
L1 = λ/ (μ- λ) = 10
And with the second server the average number in the system would be:
L2 = λ/ (μ- λ) = 5
Analysis of M/M/1 queue: Example 1
With the first server the average number in the queue would be:
Lq = λ2 / (μ(μ- λ)) = 100/(11(11-10)) = 100/11 = 9.09
And with the second server the average number in the queue would
be:
Lq = λ2 / (μ(μ- λ)) = 100/(12(12-10)) = 100/24 = 4.16
Analysis of M/M/1 queue: Example 1
With the first server the average waiting time in the system would be:
W1 = L1 / λ = 10/10 = 1
And with the second server the average waiting time in the system
would be:
W2 = L2 / λ = 5/10 = 0.5
Analysis of M/M/1 queue: Example 1
With the first server the average waiting time in the queue would be:
Wq = W – (1/ μ1)
= 1 – (1/11) = 0.90
And with the second server the average waiting time in the queue would be:
Wq = W – (1/ μ2)
= 0.5 – (1/12) = 0.4167
Since, the number of customer in the system is less in case of second server
and also the waiting time is less, there is more prospect of new customers
visiting the system. Also, the server utilization factor between both the
server is not significantly different, choosing second server would be a good
decision.
Analysis of M/M/1 queue: Example 2
• Example 2: For the M/M/1 queue with service rate μ = 10 customers
per hour, consider how L and W increase as the arrival rate, λ
increases from 5 to 8.64 by increments of 20% and then to λ = 10.
λ 5.0 6.0 7.2 8.64 10.0

s 0.500 0.600 0.720 0.864 1.0

L 1.00 1.50 2.57 6.35 Infinity

w 0.20 0.25 0.36 0.73 infinity

4.7 Networks of Queue
• In real world implementation, many system are naturally modeled as
networks of single queues in which customers departing from one
queue may be routed to another.
• Example 1: Consider a discount warehouse where customers may
either serve themselves or wait for one of three clerks, then finally
leave after paying a single cashier.
4.7 Networks of Queue

• Example 2: A candy manufacturer has a production line that consists

of 3 machines separated by inventory-in-process buffers. The first
machine makes and wraps the individual pieces of candy, the 2nd
packs 50 pieces in a box, and 3rd machine seals and wraps the box.
The two inventory buffers have capacities of 1000 boxes each.
4.7 Networks of Queue
• The system is modeled as having 3 service centers, each center having
c=1 server ( a m/c), with queue capacity constraints between machines.
• It is assumed that a sufficient supply of raw material is always available at
the first queue.
• Because of the queue capacity constraints, machine 1 shuts down
whenever its inventory buffer (queue 2) fills to capacity, and machine 2
shuts down whenever its buffer empties.
• In brief, the system consists of 3 single-server queues in series queue
capacity constraints and a continuous arrival stream at the first queue.
4.8 Application of Queuing System
• Telecommunications
• Traffic control
• Determining the sequence of computer operations
• Health services (e.g. control of hospital bed assignments)
• Airport traffic, airline ticket sales
• Layout of manufacturing systems.
References
• Jerry Banks, John S. Carson, II Barry L. Nelson , David M. Nicol, P.
Shahabudeen “Discrete Event system simulation”