A Simple Policy for Multiple Queues with Size-Independent Service Times

TL;DR

This paper introduces an optimal, easy-to-implement policy for a two-queue service system with size-independent service times, applicable to real-world scenarios like airport shuttling and online computing.

Contribution

It proposes a simple, state-independent policy that is proven to be optimal for a two-queue system with fixed service times, improving decision-making efficiency.

Findings

The policy is optimal for the considered system.

The policy is easy to implement in practical settings.

Performance is close to theoretical best.

Abstract

We consider a service system with two Poisson arrival queues. A server chooses which queue to serve at each moment. Once a queue is served, all the customers will be served within a fixed amount of time. This model is useful in studying airport shuttling or certain online computing systems. We propose a simple yet optimal state-independent policy for this problem which is not only easy to implement, but also performs very well.