Waiting-time approximations for multiple-server polling systems

We consider multiple-server polling systems, in which each of the servers visits the queues according to its own cyclic schedule. Such systems appear to completely defy the derivation of exact waiting-time results, which motivates the search for accurate approximations. In the present paper, we derive waiting-time approximations for asymmetric systems with the exhaustive and gated service discipline. The approximations are tested for a wide range of parameter combinations.