The general two-server queueing loss system: Discrete-time analysis and numerical approximation of continuous-time systems

The Erlang Loss formula is a widely used model for determining values of the long-run proportion of customers that are lost (/?_loss values) in multi-server loss systems with Poisson arrival processes. There is a need for models that are less restrictive. Here, the general two-server loss system is investigated with no restrictions on the form that the renewal type input process takes; i.e. the underlying model is based on the GI/G/2 model of queueing theory. The analysis is carried out in discrete time leading to a compact system of equations that can be solved numerically, or in special cases exactly, to obtain /?_loss values. Exact results are obtained for some specific loss systems involving geometric distributions and, by taking appropriate limits, these results are extended to their continuous-time counterparts. A simple numerical procedure is developed to allow systems involving arbitrary continuous distributions to be approximated by the discrete-time model, leading to very accurate results for a set of test problems.