Software Architecture for Object-Oriented Simulation Modeling and Simulation Environments: Case Study and Approach

During the past two decades, there has been a steady migration towards object-oriented modeling and simulation environments. There exist many issues besides use of a modeling and simulation approach and an object-oriented programming language that are important to account for in developing modeling and simulation environments. For example, it is not only necessary to consider run-time attributes, but also the underlying, non-run-time traits of such environments. In this report, we will (i) examine an object-oriented modeling & simulation environment called DEVSJAVA with respect to its architectural traits and (ii) propose a new software architecture capable of supporting essential functionalities advocated by system-theoretic modeling and simulation concepts and methods. Software architecture concepts and principles are applied to the Discrete Event System Specification modeling and simulation framework and shown to increase DEVSJAVA’s support for a principled approach for conducting simulation studies. This report presents a prototype Tracking Environment which serves both as a vehicle for exemplifying modeling and simulation software architecture concepts and for supporting systematic observation of dynamic simulation models.