A multi-server queueing model with server consultations

We consider a multi-server queueing model in which the arrivals occur according to a Markovian arrival process. One of the servers, henceforth referred to as the main server, offers consultation to fellow servers (referred to as regular servers) apart from serving the customers. A regular server may request a consultation only when serving a customer and is offered consultation on a first-come-first-served basis by the main server. The main server gives a preemptive priority to regular servers (for consulting) over customers. Thus, the main server can undergo interruptions during his/her servicing the customers. Under the assumptions of exponential services and consultations, the model is analyzed in steady-state using the well-known matrix-analytic methods. Illustrative numerical examples to bring out the qualitative nature of the model under study are presented. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.