Using Web Services and Business Process Execution Language for Hla-based Distributed Supply-chain Simulation

Supply-chains are large systems consisting of many components interacting in complex ways. The challenge faced by companies is how to design and manage such systems. Modeling and simulation enables analysis of complex systems but as the model increases in size and realism, a distribution capability is needed. While the High Level Architecture provides the infrastructure needed for large-scale distributed simulation, it does not have a mechanism to coordinate the configuration and invocation of geographically distributed models through a single point of access. This capability is provided by Web services. By publishing the HLA-based simulation models of their enterprise as Web services, companies can critically compare customized supply-chain scenarios by configuring, executing and analyzing the corresponding distributed simulations. This paper describes an approach that uses Web services and Business Process Execution Language to support the business process (discovery, configuration, deployment and execution) of carrying out large-scale distributed simulations using the HLA framework.