A multiple server system has customers arriving at an average rate of five per hour and an average service time of forty minutes.The minimum number of servers for this system to be underloaded is:
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5
E) none of these

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To find the minimum number of servers for the system to be underloaded, calculate the traffic intensity (ρ) using the formula ρ = λ / (μ * c), where λ is the arrival rate, μ is the service rate, and c is the number of servers. Here, λ = 5 customers/hour, and μ = 1.5 customers/hour (since 40 minutes per customer is 1.5 customers/hour). To be underloaded, ρ must be less than 1. Solving 5 / (1.5 * c) < 1 gives c > 3.33, so at least 4 servers are needed.

A Multiple Server System Has Customers Arriving at an Average