Optimal control for an MX/G/1 queue with two service modes

A practically important model is the queueing model with controllable service rate. This paper considers a single-server model with batch Poisson input and two service modes, where switch-over times are involved when changing the service mode. A class of simple switch-over rules is considered and, using Markov decision theory, a tailor-made policy-iteration algorithm is developed for computing a rule that mimimizes the long-run average number of customers in the system. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.