On the optimal design of tandem queueing systems with finite buffers

We consider tandem queueing systems that can be formulated as a continuous-time Markov chain, and investigate how to maximize the throughput when the queue capacities are limited. We consider various constrained optimization problems where the decision variables are of one or more of the following types: (1) expected service times, (2) queue capacities, and (3) the number of servers at the respective stations. After surveying our previous studies of this kind, we open up consideration of three new problems by presenting some numerical results that should give some insight into the general form of the optimal design.