Abstract
This chapter introduces a number of traditional approaches for the development of simulation models. The simulation model associated with a modelling and simulation project is a computer program that captures the structural and behavioural details of the SUI as specified by the conceptual model. An important feature of the simulation model relates to the perspective taken in ‘packaging’ the model dynamics; in particular, the management of time is a major concern. At its most fundamental level, a DEDS model evolves as a consequence of discrete events which change the value of some of the model’s state variables. Thus, time management consists of determining event times and appropriately updating the model’s state variable at these times. The fundamental algorithm which captures the time management function is the execution and time advance algorithm. Four traditional world views are introduced each with its own execution and time management algorithm. These include the Activity Scanning world view, the Event Scheduling world view, the Three-Phase world view and the Process-Oriented world view. A procedure for transforming an ABCmod conceptual model into a simulation model corresponding to both the Three-Phase world view and the Process-Oriented world view is outlined.
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Notes
- 1.
Tentatively scheduled events and intercepting events are not considered here since traditional world views do not typically deal explicitly with interruptions.
- 2.
GPSS supports the Process-Oriented world view and uses the term chain instead of list.
- 3.
The term ‘future event’ is introduced here to distinguish it from the scheduled event and the conditional event that we have previously defined (Sect. 4.2.2.1). The word ‘event’ is traditionally used in discussing Event Scheduling models.
- 4.
Law and Larmey [4] define the process as ‘a time-ordered sequence of interrelated events separated by passages of time (either predetermined or indefinite), which describes the entire experience of an ‘entity’ as it flows through a system’.
- 5.
CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) makes available a number of Java packages as Open Source Libraries for High Performance Scientific and Technical Computing in Java [2]. It provides a number of classes that implement stochastic data models. Version 1.2.0 was used during the writing of this book.
- 6.
The ADVANCE Block in fact schedules the entering Transaction on the FEC.
- 7.
A PLUS procedure, IsMvToBerthInt, is called to evaluate the state of the model. Using a procedure provides a clearer means of expressing the precondition than Boolean Variable entity. All SNAs needed for testing are passed as arguments to the Procedure. Note that it is necessary to represent the tug attributes as SaveValue entities instead of Transaction parameters to support the testing of these attribute values. GPSS places the interrupt Transaction on the Retry chains of the Tug_Status SaveValue entity, Tug_StartTime SaveValue entity, HarbourQu User Chain entity and DeberthQu User Chain entity. Whenever any of these entities change, GPSS moves all transactions from the corresponding retry chain to the CEC, including the interrupt Transaction which will try again to traverse the TEST Block, i.e., re-evaluate the TEST.
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Birta, L.G., Arbez, G. (2013). DEDS Simulation Model Development. In: Modelling and Simulation. Simulation Foundations, Methods and Applications. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2783-3_5
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