A production system with two job classes, changeover times and revisitation

This paper, motivated by the need to predict performance of production systems with random arrivals, setup times and revisitation, presents an imbedded Markov chain analysis of the underlying M/G/1 queue with two customer classes, changeover times and instantaneous Bernoulli feedback. It is assumed that jobs are scheduled according to the exhaustive alternative priority queue discipline. Expressions for the mean waiting time and the nonsaturation condition are derived under two different priority assignments to the repeat customers. Sojourn times under these priority assignments are shown to possess a convex ordering. Results of the study are also applicable to data communication networks that operate under cyclic switching mechanisms.