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In this paper, we propose a machine repair problem with constant retrial policy, wherein if a failed machine finds the repairman busy upon arrival, it enters into an orbit. The machines in the orbit form a single waiting line, and only the one at the head of the orbit repeats its request for repair. The failure times of operating machines and the repair times of failed machines follow exponential distributions. It is assumed that retrial times are generally distributed. We used the supplementary variable technique to obtain explicit expressions for the steady-state probabilities of the number of failed machines in the orbit. We performed sensitivity analysis of the machine availability and operative efficiency with respect to system parameters and the number of machines in operation. The analysis of the busy period and the waiting time were also presented. Finally, we developed a cost model and formulated a cost minimization problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a detailed analysis of a multi-server retrial queue with Bernoulli feedback, where the servers are subject to starting failures. Upon completion of a service, a customer would decide either to leave the system with probabilitypor to join the retrial orbit again for another service with complementary probability 1−p. We analyse this queueing system as a quasi-birth–death process. Specifically, the equilibrium condition of the system is given for the existence of the steady-state analysis. Applying the matrix-geometric method, the formulae for computing the rate matrix and stationary probabilities are obtained. We further develop the matrix-form expressions for various system performance measures. A cost model is constructed to determine the optimal number of servers, the optimal mean service rate and the optimal mean repair rate subject to the stability condition. Finally, we give a practical example to illustrate the potential applicability of this model. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]