Analysis of polling systems with general input process and finite capacity

An approximate algorithm for polling systems with finite capacity of waiting places and nonexhaustive service is presented. The analysis is made in the discrete-time domain, based on the evaluation of discrete convolution operations taking advantage of fast convolution algorithms, e.g. the fast Fourier transform. Attention is devoted to two essential modeling aspects: consideration of general renewal input traffic, and assumption of finite capacity of waiting places in the system. Numerical examples are shown to illustrate the approximation accuracy of the analysis. The approximation is validated by means of computer simulations. The class of polling models considered here can be used in the performance investigation of a broad spectrum of models in computer and communication systems