Approximate performance analysis of generalized join the shortest queue routing

Abstract

In this paper we propose a highly accurate approximate performance analysis of a heterogeneous server system with a processor sharing (PS) service discipline and a general job-size distribution under a generalized join the shortest queue (GJSQ) routing protocol. The GJSQ routing protocol is a natural extension of the well-known join the shortest queue (JSQ) routing policy that takes into account the non-identical service rates in addition to the number of jobs at each server. The performance metrics that are of interest here are the equilibrium distribution and the mean and standard deviation of the number of jobs at each server. We show that the latter metrics are near-insensitive to the jobsize distribution using simulation experiments. By applying a single queue approximation (SQA) we model each server as a single server queue with a state-dependent arrival process, independent of other servers in the system, and derive the distribution of the number of jobs at the server. These state-dependent arrival rates are intended to capture the inherent correlation between servers in the original system and behave in a rather atypical way.