Flexibility in an asymmetric system with prolonged service time at non-dedicated servers

TL;DR

This paper models an asymmetric system with prolonged service times at non-dedicated servers, analyzing different flexibility schemes to optimize performance and providing guidance on implementing flexibility in such contexts.

Contribution

It introduces a stylized model capturing prolonged service times in asymmetric systems and compares various flexibility schemes to identify optimal configurations.

Findings

Partial flexibility can outperform full flexibility and independence under certain conditions.

Guidelines are provided for introducing flexibility in systems with prolonged service times.

The model characterizes the impact of asymmetry and service time prolongation on system performance.

Abstract

The prolonged service time at non-dedicated servers has been observed in [1]. Motivated by such real problems, we propose a stylized model which characterizes the feature of the prolonged service time at non-dedicated servers in an asymmetric system. We study the independent system, the full flexibility system and the partial flexibility system when the occupation rate of the system, the degree of the prolonged service time and the degree of the asymmetry are allowed to change. We show that under certain circumstances, the partial flexibility scheme outperforms the full flexibility system and the independent system in such a model. Our results also provide instructions on how to introduce flexibility when the service time at non-dedicated servers is prolonged in an asymmetric system.