A linear programming approach to Markov reward error bounds for queueing networks

In this paper, we present a numerical framework for constructing bounds on stationary performance measures of random walks in the positive orthant using the Markov reward approach. These bounds are established in terms of stationary performance measures of a perturbed random walk whose stationary distribution is known explicitly. We consider random walks in an arbitrary number of dimensions and with a transition probability structure that is defined on an arbitrary partition of the positive orthant. Within each component of this partition the transition probabilities are homogeneous. This enables us to model queueing networks with, for instance, break-downs and finite buffers. The main contribution of this paper is that we generalize the linear programming approach of [1] to this class of models.