Abstract
In this article, we discuss the optimal scheduling problem of the recently introduced model for partial loss due to machine breakdowns, which fills up a significant gap in the existing literature. More specifically, we consider the problem of processing a number of jobs with arbitrary random processing times by a machine subject to general stochastic breakdowns, where each breakdown may cause an uncertain loss of the work achieved on the job being processed. The objective is to maximize the expected weighted discounted reward of completing the jobs in the class of unrestricted dynamic policies. We obtain the optimal dynamic polices using multi-armed bandit process methodology, which are characterized by a set of Gittins indices as solutions to a system of integral equations. Optimal solutions for a number of problems with specific loss patterns are derived. Application of the theory to the classical no-loss model is also discussed which leads to new results.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
When a job of higher priority arrives, the machine has to process it immediately, causing a disruption to the regular job being processed. For regular jobs, interruptions by jobs with higher priority are equivalent, in effect, to breakdowns of the machine.
References
Adiri, I., Bruno, J., Frostig, E., & Kan, A. H. G. R. (1989). Single machine flowtime scheduling with a single breakdown. Acta Informatica, 26, 679–696.
Adiri, I., Frostig, E., & Kan, A. H. G. R. (1991). Scheduling on a single machine with a single breakdown to minimize stochastically the number of tardy jobs. Naval Research Logistics, 38, 261–271.
Allahverdi, A., Ng, C. T., Cheng, T. C. E., & Kovalyov, M. Y. (2008). A survey of scheduling problems with setup times or costs. European Journal of Operational Research, 187, 985–1032.
Andrews, M. (2007). A survey of scheduling theory in wireless data networks. In P. Agrawal, D. M. Andrews, P. J. Fleming, G. Yin, & L. Zhang (Eds.), Wireless Communications (pp. 1–18). New York: Springer.
Ball, M., Barnhart, C., Nemhauser, G., & Odoni, A. (2007). Air transportation: Irregu- lar operations and control. In C. Barnhart, G. Laporte (Eds.) Handbooks in operations research and management science, vol. 14 Transportation, Elsevier. pp. 1–68.
Birge, J., Frenk, J. B. G., Mittenthal, J., & Kan, A. H. G. R. (1990). Single-machine scheduling subject to stochastic breakdown. Naval Research Logistics, 37, 661–677.
Cai, X., & Zhou, X. (1999). Stochastic scheduling on parallel machine subject to random breakdowns to minimize expected costs for earliness and tardy cost. Operations Research, 47, 422–437.
Cai, X., & Zhou, X. (2000). Asymmetric earliness-tardiness scheduling with exponential processing times on an unreliable machine. Annals of Operations Research, 98, 313–331.
Cai, X., Sun, X., & Zhou, X. (2003). Stochastic scheduling with preemptive-repeat machine breakdowns to minimize the expected weighted flowtime. Probability in the Engineering and Informational Sciences, 17, 467–485.
Cai, X., Sun, X., & Zhou, X. (2004). Stochastic scheduling subject to machine breakdowns: the preemptive-repeat model with discounted reward and other criteria. Naval Research Logistics, 51, 800–817.
Cai, X., Wu, X., & Zhou, X. (2005). Dynamically optimal policies for stochastic scheduling subject to preemptive-repeat machine breakdowns. IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering, 2, 158–172.
Cai, X., Wu, X., & Zhou, X. (2009). Stochastic scheduling subject to preemptive-repeat breakdowns with incomplete information. Operations Research, 57, 1236–1249.
Cai, X., Wu, X., & Zhou, X. (2014). Optimal stochastic scheduling (International Series in Operations Research & Management Science, vol. 207). Berlin: Springer.
Chimento, P. F., & Trivedi, K. S. (1993). The completion time of programs on processors subject to failure and repair. IEEE Transactions on Computers, 42, 1184–1194.
Frostig, E. (1991). A note on stochastic scheduling on a single machine subject to breakdown - the preemptive-repeat model. Probability in the Engineering and Informational Sciences, 5, 349–354.
Glazebrook, K. D. (1991). On nonpreemptive policies for stochastic single-machine scheduling with breakdowns. Probability in the Engineering and Informational Sciences, 5, 77–87.
Glazebrook, K. D. (2005). Optimal scheduling of tasks when service is subject to disruption: the preempt-repeat case. Mathematical Methods of Operations Research, 61, 147–169.
Groenevelt, H., Pintelon, L., & Seidmann, A. (1992). Prodution batching with machine breakdowns and safty stocks. Operations Research, 40, 959–971.
Haleh, H., Maghsoudlou, H., Hadipour, H., & Nabovati, H. (2017). Scheduling single machine with random breakdown and preemptive jobs. Journal of Industrial and Production Engineering., 34(4), 289–299.
Heathcote, C. R. (1961). Preemptive priority queueing. Biometrika, 48, 57–63.
Herroelen, W., & Leus, R. (2005). Project scheduling under uncertainty: Survey and research potentials. European Journal of Operational Research, 165, 289–306.
Iannaccone, G., Chuah, C., Mortier, R., Bhattacharyya, S., & Diot, C. (2002). Analysis of link failures in an IP backbone. In Proceedings of ACM Sigcomm internet measurement workshop.
Ishikida, T., & Varaiya, P. (1994). Multi-armed bandit problem revisited. Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, 83, 113–154.
Jain, S., & Foley, W. J. (2002). Impact of interruptions on schedule execution in flexible manufacturing systems. International Journal of Flexible Manufacturing Systems, 14, 319–344.
Karoui, N. E., & Karatzas, I. (1994). Dynamic allocation problems in continuous time. The Annals of Applied Probability, 4, 255–286.
Kececioglu, D. (2002). Reliability and life testing handbook (Vol. 2). Lancaster: DEStech Publications.
Keskinocak, P., Wu, F., Goodwin, R., Murthy, S., Akkiraju, R., Kumaran, S., et al. (2002). Scheduling solutions for the paper industry. Operations Research, 50, 249–259.
Lee, C.-Y., & Lin, C.-S. (2001). Single-machine scheduling with maintenance and repair rate-modifying activities. European Journal of Operational Research, 135, 493–513.
Lee, C.-Y., & Yu, G. (2007). Single machine scheduling under potential disruption. Operations Research Letters, 35, 541–548.
Li, W., Braun, W. J., & Zhao, Y. Q. (1998). Stochastic scheduling on a repairable machine with Erlang uptime distribution. Advances in Applied Probability, 30, 1073–1088.
Liu, J. C., Ho, H.-J., & Lee, S. L. (2008). Single-hop all-to-all broadcast in optical star networks with breakdown or power-off transceivers. International Journal of Communication Networks and Distributed Systems, 1, 251–261.
Mandelbaum, A. (1987). Continuous multi-armed bandits and multiparameter processes. The Annals of Probability, 15, 1527–1556.
Mehta, S. V., & Uzsoy, R. M. (1998). Predictable scheduling of a job shop subject to breakdowns. IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, 14, 365–378.
Mittenthal, J., & Raghavachari, M. (1993). Stochastic single machine scheduling with quadratic early-tardy penalties. Operations Research, 41, 786–796.
Nicola, V. F., Kulkarni, V. G., & Trivedi, K. S. (1987). A queueing analysis of fault-tolerant computer systems. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, 13, 363–375.
Oksman, V. (2008). Data packets transport over DSL. In P. Golden, H. Dedieu, K. S. Jacobsen (Eds.) Implementation and applications of DSL technology, Boca Raton: Auerbach Publications. Chapter 13, pp. 501–524.
Park, S., Fowler, J. W., Mackulak, G. T., Keats, J. B., & Carlyle, W. M. (2002). D-optimal sequential experiments for generating a simulation-based cycle time-throughput curve. Operations Research, 50, 981–990.
Pfund, M. E., Mason, S. J., & Fowler, J. W. (2006). Semiconductor manufacturing scheduling and dispatching. In J. W. Herrmann (Ed.), Handbook of Production Scheduling (pp. 213–241). US: Springer.
Pinedo, M., & Rammouz, E. (1988). A note on stochastic scheduling on a single machine subject to breakdown and repair. Probability in Engineering and Informational Sciences, 2, 41–49.
Pinedo, M. (2002). Scheduling: Theory, algorithms, and systems (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
Qi, X. D., Yin, G., & Birge, J. R. (2000a). Scheduling problems with random processing times under expected earliness/tardiness costs. Stochastic Analysis and Applications, 18, 453–473.
Qi, X. D., Yin, G., & Birge, J. R. (2000b). Single machine scheduling with random machine breakdowns and randomly compressible processing times. Stochastic Analysis and Applications, 18, 635–653.
Sang, A., Wang, X., Madihian, M., & Gitlin, R. D. (2006). A flexible downlink scheduling scheme in cellular packet data systems. IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, 5, 568–577.
Takine, T., & Sengupta, B. (1997). A single server queue with service interruptions. Journal of Queueing Systems, 26, 285–300.
Tang, D., Dai, M., Salido, M. A., & Giret, A. (2016). Energy-efficient dynamic scheduling for a flexible flow shop using an improved particle swarm optimization. Computers in Industry, 81, 82–95.
Thomke, S., & Bell, D. E. (2001). Sequential testing in product development. Management Science, 47, 308–323.
Vieira, G. E., Herrmann, J. W., & Lin, E. (2003). Rescheduling manufacturing systems: A framework of strategies, policies, and methods. Journal of Scheduling, 6, 39–62.
Yu, G., & Qi, X. (2004). Disruption management: Framework, models and applications. Singapore: World Scientific.
Zhang, H., & Graves, S. C. (1997). Cyclic scheduling in a stochastic environment. Operations Research, 45, 894–903.
Acknowledgements
This research is partially supported by: (1) Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 71531003, 71432004), Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (No. T32-102/14), the Leading Talent Program of Guangdong Province (No. 2016LJ06D703), and Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Committee (Grant No. ZDSYS20170725140921348) to Xiaoqiang Cai; (2) Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 71371074, 71771089) to Xianyi Wu.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cai, X., Wu, X. & Zhou, X. Optimal unrestricted dynamic stochastic scheduling with partial losses of work due to breakdowns. Ann Oper Res 298, 43–64 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-018-2962-4
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-018-2962-4