The Downtime block defines either maintenance, repairs, or any other type of activity that is different from the usual activity of specific markup elements (cranes, conveyors, conveyor stations) or resources defined by the ResourcePool block.
You can schedule the recurring downtime activities either by using different types of triggers or by using the Schedule element. You can also customize the time of the first occurrence for this activity.
If you define multiple first occurrence triggers, the first one to fire will start the countdown for the triggers that define the recurrence period for this activity, if you have specified them.
If you do not define any triggers for the first occurrence and only specify the recurrence interval, the first occurrence will occur when the specified interval has elapsed. For example, if you define a cycle of 50 work hours, the first downtime will occur when the resource has accumulated 50 work hours from the start of the model run and will repeat at the same frequency until you stop the simulation.
A set of resources may have multiple tasks with different priorities and preemption policies.
- If all tasks have the same priority, they will be executed in the usual way following their occurrence schedule. If there are enough resource units available, tasks can be executed simultaneously. If two tasks have the same priority, but one of them was suspended for some reason, this suspended task will be picked1.
- If you have configured no preemption policy for the tasks, these tasks will be executed one after another following their occurrence schedule. If there are enough resource units available, tasks can be executed simultaneously.
- The occurrence of one task does not reset the priorities for other tasks.
1 Each resource unit may receive requests from different sources. When a single resource unit receives multiple tasks, suspended and new, with identical priority values, some rules apply to the picking order:
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The suspended tasks from the individual queue of the resource unit have the highest priority.
This queue is formed by agents waiting in blocks that have the Task preemption policy set to Wait for original resource. -
After that, the suspended tasks from the queue of the ResourcePool block are processed.
This queue is formed by agents waiting in the blocks that have the Task preemption policy set to Seize any resource.
Once the suspended tasks from these queues are completed, the resource unit begins to process new tasks from their individual queues, and after that, the queue of the ResourcePool block.
If this order does not suit your needs, manually decrease the task’s priority by code, using the On task suspended action of the block.
If a downtime task is defined by a schedule of any type, that is, it is either a maintenance task or a custom task, and at the time this task is scheduled to start, the resource is still performing a higher priority task, then the downtime task will be delayed for as long as it takes the resource to complete the higher priority task.
Suppose we have a downtime maintenance task specified with an “on”-“off” schedule. The “on” interval defines the maintenance task and is set to 2 hours long. It repeats every 10 hours, so the “off” interval is 8 hours. If a higher priority task takes up the first hour of the scheduled “on” interval, then the maintenance task will start at the second hour and last for the scheduled 2 hours. The “off” interval will decrease by the same amount of time that the higher priority task has taken up from the scheduled interval, and will last for 7 hours instead of 8.
The downtime tasks of a particular ResourcePool block may occur at the same time as the end of the shift specified by the properties of that block. In this case, these downtime tasks are moved to the event queue of that ResourcePool. They will start when the end of shift task is completed, that is, when the next shift starts.
The specifics of how the Downtime block works for markup elements are covered in the articles that describe those elements (in the Maintenance, failures, breaks section of their properties).
Demo model: Maintenance of a Coffee Machine Open the model page in AnyLogic Cloud. There you can run the model or download it (by clicking Model source files).-
From the drop-down list, select the type of the element that goes into downtime. It also sets the type of element in the dynamic (code) fields. Has the following options:
- General — The default state, which causes the Downtime block to affect both agents and markup elements. The value for a unit is IMaintenanceable, which can refer to both agents and markup elements. You can also typecast the unit dynamically to the specific type you need.
- Conveyor — The Downtime block affects conveyors. The value for a unit is ConveyorPath.
- Station — The Downtime block affects conveyor stations. The value for a unit is ConveyorSimpleStation.
- Jib Crane — The Downtime block affects jib cranes. The value for a unit is JibCrane.
- Overhead Crane — The Downtime block affects bridges on an overhead crane. The value for a unit is OverheadCraneBridge.
- Agent name ... — The agent type. Can refer to the resources and the agent type. The selected value is the type of the local variable unit in dynamic fields.
Default value: IMaintenanceable - Type
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The type of downtime task performed by the resource units. The available options are Maintenance (may be triggered by schedule), Failure / repair (may not be triggered by schedule) or Custom (any type of interrupting activity for resource units).
Syntax: Downtime.ActivityType activityType
Valid values:
Downtime.ACTIVITY_MAINTENANCE — Maintenance
Downtime.ACTIVITY_FAILURE — Failure / repair
Downtime.ACTIVITY_CUSTOM — Custom -
[Visible and applies only if the Type is defined as either Maintenance or Custom]
Here you can choose whether you want to schedule tasks by defining the Triggers or you prefer to use AnyLogic Schedule instead.Value type: DowntimeDescriptor.TriggerType -
[Visible if the Defined by parameter is set to Schedule]
The schedule defining the occurrence pattern for the task. The schedule should be set to the “on/off” mode. During the “on” periods, the resource is on downtime.Value type: Schedule<boolean>
Local variable: T unit — the resource unit -
[Visible if the Defined by parameter is set to Triggers]
Here you can specify the period of working time (when the resource unit services an agent) and idle time that must pass between the assignments of this task. If the field is left empty, this type of trigger will not be applied.Value type: double
Local variable: T unit — the resource unit -
[Visible if the Defined by parameter is set to Triggers]
Here you can specify when the countdown for the Total time between occurrences parameter must start: either when the task starts or when the task finishes. If the downtime task has been started by a different trigger, the Total time between occurrences countdown will be restarted after the downtime task finishes.Value type: boolean -
[Visible if the Defined by parameter is set to Triggers]
Here you can specify the period of working time that must pass between the assignments of this task. Working time includes the time spent by the resource to reach the agent that seized it and the time of service itself. If the field is left empty, this type of trigger will not be applied.Value type: double
Local variable: T unit — the resource unit -
[Visible if the Defined by parameter is set to Triggers]
The number of times this resource must be seized between the assignments of this task. If the resource work was interrupted after it had been seized but then resumed once again, this is counted as two cycles. If the field is left empty, this type of trigger will not be applied.Value type: int
Local variable: T unit — the resource unit -
[Visible if the Defined by parameter is set to Triggers]
Enables the custom trigger values for the first downtime occurrence. If not enabled, the first downtime will occur when the recurrence period specified for the repeating downtime task runs out.Value type: boolean
Local variable: T unit — the resource unit -
[Visible if the Custom first occurrence option is selected]
Here you can specify the amount of time that must pass from the appearance of the resource unit until this task is first assigned to the resource. It includes both working time (when the resource unit services an agent) and idle time. If the field is left empty, this type of trigger will not be applied.Value type: double
Local variable: T unit — the resource unit -
[Visible if the Custom first occurrence option is selected]
Here you can specify the amount of working time that must pass until this task is first assigned to the resource. Working time includes the time spent by the resource to reach the agent that seized it and the time of service itself. If the field is left empty, this type of trigger will not be applied.Value type: double
Local variable: T unit — the resource unit -
[Visible if the Custom first occurrence option is selected]
The number of times this resource has been seized until this task is first assigned to the resource. If the resource work was interrupted after it had been seized and then resumed once again, it is counted as two cycles. If the field is left empty, this type of trigger will not be applied.Value type: int
Local variable: T unit — the resource unit
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Here you can choose how you will model the downtime task:
Delay (timeout/schedule) — you can just set the duration of the task as a delay or use a schedule.
Delay (timeout/schedule) with resources — you can set the duration of the task as a delay or use a schedule and define the minimal logic for the resources that will execute this task. If the resources you are using for the downtime task are also used elsewhere, the priority of the downtime task will be 0. If you need to define a more complex logic including the prioritizing of resources, you should define it in a separate flowchart and select Go to flowchart option in this parameter.
Delay until stopTask() is called — the task will continue until its explicit termination by calling the stopTask() function.
Go to flowchart — Alternative to modeling a task just with a delay, you can model it with a flowchart describing the process. The flowchart start should start with the ResourceTaskStart block specified in the Task start block field below.Type of value: DowntimeDescriptor.TaskType
Valid values:
Downtime.TASK_DELAY — Delay (timeout/schedule)
Downtime.TASK_DELAY_WITH_RESOURCES — Delay (timeout/schedule) with resources
Downtime.TASK_WAIT_CALLBACK — Delay until stopTask() is called
Downtime.TASK_FLOWCHART — Go to flowchart -
[Visible if the Defined by parameter is set to Triggers and Task type is defined as Delay (timeout/schedule)]
The duration of the task.Value type: double
Default value: triangular(10, 20, 30) seconds
Local variable: T unit — the resource unit - Seize
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[Visible if Task type is defined as Delay (timeout/schedule) with resources]
Define the seize mode: (alternative) resource sets or units of the same pool.
For more details, see Resources.Syntax: boolean seizeFromOnePool
Default value: (alternative) resource sets — false -
[Visible if Seize is set to (alternative) resource sets]
Here you can define several alternative resource sets (add new list by clicking the Add list button). The resource set is chosen based on the availability of units.
For more details, see Resources.Local variable: agent — the agent -
[Visible if Seize is set to units of the same pool]
ResourcePool block from where the resources are requested.
For more details, see Resources.Local variable: agent — the agent -
[Visible if Seize is set to units of the same pool]
Expression evaluated to obtain the required number of resource units for the agent.Value type: int
Local variable: agent — the agent
Default value: 1 -
If selected (true), the seized resources will be sent to the specified location.
Value type: boolean
Default value: false
Local variables:
agent — the agent
T unit — the resource unit - Destination is
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[Visible if Send seized resources is selected]
Defines where the resources will be sent. The resources can be sent to:Agent — resources are sent to the current agent location.
Network node — resources are sent to the specified network node.
Attractor — resources are sent to the specified attractor.Get value:Seize.DestinationType destinationType
Valid values:
Downtime.DEST_ENTITY — Agent
Downtime.DEST_NODE — Network node
Downtime.DEST_ATTRACTOR — Attractor -
[Visible if Destination is the Network node]
Network node where the seized resources will be sent.Type of value: INode
Local variables:
agent — the agent
T unit — the resource unit -
[Visible if Destination is: Attractor]
Attractor where the seized resources will be sent.Type of value: Attractor
Local variables:
agent — the agent
T unit — the resource unit -
[Visible if Send seized resources is selected]
Here you can select the behavior of the resources after they are released: they will either Return to home location or Stay where they are.Value type: boolean
Local variable: T unit — the resource unit -
[Visible if Task type is defined as Go to flowchart]
ResourceTaskStart block that starts the flowchart defining the task process.Local variable: T unit — the resource unit -
Here you choose whether you consider this task in the collected usage statistics as “busy” time, “idle” time, or not take it into account at all.
Default value: not collected
Get value:Seize.DestinationType destinationType
Valid values:
Downtime.USAGE_NOT_COUNTED — not collected
Downtime.USAGE_BUSY — counted as ‘busy’
Downtime.USAGE_IDLE — counted as ‘idle’
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Sets the priority of the task.
Value type: double
Local variable: T unit — the resource unit -
Sets whether this task may preempt the task currently being executed, if any. In other words, true means that unit will “drop its work” when this task is activated. If false, then the unit will finish all its tasks with less Priority. Note that true option has exceptions: current unit task may have a “uninterruptible” option No preemption.
Value type: boolean
Local variable: T unit — the resource unit -
Specifies the policy for the task preemption:
No preemption — cannot be preempted (unit will be busy with this task until it is finished).
Terminate — may be preempted and will be terminated.Value type: ResourcePreemptionPolicy
Local variable: T unit — the resource unit
- On start
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Here you can type the code that will be executed when the task starts.
Local variables:
unit — the resource unit
ResourceUnitTask task — the task - On finish
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Here you can type the code that will be executed when the task finishes.
Local variables:
unit — the resource unit
ResourceUnitTask task — the task - On terminate
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[Visible if Preemption policy is defined as Terminate]
Here you can type the code that will be executed when the task has been terminated because of preemption.Local variables:
unit — the resource unit
ResourceUnitTask task — the task
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| void restartTriggers(T unit) |
Resets the countdowns of all triggers for the specified resource unit and starts waiting for the next triggering events. unit — The unit which countdowns are to be reset. |
| void stopTask(T unit) |
Stops the downtime task for the specified resource unit and restarts all triggers according to their settings. unit — The unit which tasks are to be stopped. |
| boolean isActive(T unit) |
Returns if the specified resource unit is currently executing the downtime task. unit — The unit to check for downtime. |
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