Dynamic file assignment in a computer network: Part II: Random rates of demand

The problem of dynamic file allocation in a computer network is treated in the case when the time-pattern of the file demand rates is not perfectly known in advance to the designer. Instead, only a prior distribution and a statistical behavior are assumed, and the rates have to be estimated on-line from the incoming requests. We show that these estimates are sufficient statistics for the optimal control and obtain the equation giving the control laws as a function of the current estimates and the present location of the file.