Availability Formulas and Performance Measures for Separable Degradable Networks

We derive explicit formulas for availability and performance measures in complex degradable stochastic networks. The networks consist of interacting service systems (queues) where servers are unreliable and may break down. The breakdown and repair mechanisms are of rather general structure, and may show complex dependencies among the nodes of the networks. The degradable network models investigated incorporate the breakdowns of the servers and their repairs as well as the behavior of the service mechanisms and the customers' routing into the overall Markovian system description. The service rates may depend on the local loads of the service centers, and furthermore working and repair periods are globally determined by state dependent intensities. Three different rules are applied to handle the customers' routing connected with nodes in repair status. These rules originate from communication and production theory where they are used to resolve blocking situations.