Parallel simulation of DEVS and Cell-DEVS models on Windows-based PC cluster systems

ABSTRACT

The growing popularity of Networks of Workstations (NOW) in scientific computation has drawn increasing interest from the M&S community. This paper addresses the issue of parallel discrete-event simulation of DEVS and Cell-DEVS models on a Microsoft Windows-based cluster system comprising interconnected general-purpose personal computers. We present the architecture and features of PCD++Win, a parallel simulator that takes advantage of the multi-purpose graphical user interface of the DeinoMPI middleware for construction of ad-hoc PC clusters and configuration of simulation environment. This environment significantly reduces the learning curve for general users and the cost of the simulation platform. PCD++Win has been developed using a modular approach that promotes code reuse and allows for easy switching to other middleware technologies. The portability of the simulator is enhanced with multi-platform programming and compilation techniques. Moreover, it leaves open the possibility of further extensions such as Web-based distributed simulation and database-based model construction by leveraging the native support of Microsoft Visual Studio. The experiments demonstrate the capability of the new simulator, making it an ideal M&S toolkit for tapping the computational power of general-purpose desktop computers.

REFERENCES

• 1: MPI Forum. 2003. MPI: A Message-Passing Interface Standard. http://www.mpi-forum.org/docs/docs.html.
• 2: Deino Software. 2006. DeinoMPI -- User Manual, Version 1.1.0. http://mpi.deino.net/manual.htm.
• 3: Zeigler, B. P.; H. Praehofer, and T. G. Kim. 2000. Theory of Modeling and Simulation: Integrating Discrete Event and Continuous Complex Dynamic Systems. Academic Press, San Diego, CA.
• 4: Alex Chung Hen Chow , Bernard P. Zeigler, Parallel DEVS: a parallel, hierarchical, modular, modeling formalism, Proceedings of the 26th conference on Winter simulation, p.716-722, December 11-14, 1994, Orlando, Florida, United States
• 5: Gabriel A. Wainer , Norbert Giambiasi, N-dimensional Cell-DEVS Models, Discrete Event Dynamic Systems, v.12 n.2, p.135-157, April 2002 [doi>10.1023/A:1014536803451]
• 6: A new kind of science, Wolfram Media Inc., Champaign, Ilinois, US, 2002
• 7: Richard M. Fujimoto, Parallel and Distribution Simulation Systems, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY, 1999
• 8: Gabriel Wainer, CD++: a toolkit to develop DEVS models, Software—Practice & Experience, v.32 n.13, p.1261-1306, 10 November 2002 [doi>10.1002/spe.482]
• 9: Chidisiuc, C. and G. Wainer. 2007. "CD++Builder: An Eclipse-based IDE for DEVS Modeling". In Proceedings of the 2007 DEVS Integrative M&S Symposium (DEVS'07), Norfolk, VA.
• 10: Alejandro Troccoli , Gabriel Wainer, Implementing Parallel Cell-DEVS, Proceedings of the 36th annual symposium on Simulation, p.273, March 30-April 02, 2003
• 11: Qi Liu , Gabriel Wainer, Performance Analysis of an Optimistic Simulator for CD++, Proceedings of the 40th Annual Simulation Symposium, p.123-132, March 26-28, 2007 [doi>10.1109/ANSS.2007.31]
• 12: Madhoun, R. and G. Wainer. 2007. "Studying the Impact of Web-Services Implementation of Distributed Simulation of DEVS and Cell-DEVS Models". In Proceedings of the 2007 DEVS Integrative M&S Symposium (DEVS'07), Norfolk, VA.
• 13: Bernard P. Zeigler , Doohwan Kim , Stephen J. Buckley, Distributed supply chain simulation in a DEVS/CORBA execution environment, Proceedings of the 31st conference on Winter simulation: Simulation---a bridge to the future, p.1333-1340, December 05-08, 1999, Phoenix, Arizona, United States [doi>10.1145/324898.325274]
• 14: Zeigler, B. P., and H. S. Sarjoughian. 1999. "Support for Hierarchical Modular Component-based Model Construction in DEVS/HLA". In Proceedings of the 1999 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop, Orlando, FL.
• 15: Kim, K. and W. Kang. 2004. "CORBA-based, Multithreaded Distributed Simulation of Hierarchical DEVS Models: Transforming Model Structure into a Non-hierarchical One". In Proceedings of the International Conference on Computational Science and Its Applications (ICCSA 2004), Assisi, Italy, LNCS 3046: 167--176.
• 16: Seo, C., S. Park, B. Kim, S. Cheon, and B. P. Zeigler. 2004. "Implementation of Distributed High-performance DEVS Simulation Framework in the Grid Computing Environment". In Proceedings of the 2004 Advanced Simulation Technologies Conference -- High-Performance Computing Symposium (ASTC'04), Arlington, VA.
• 17: Cheon, S., C. Seo, S. Park, and B. P. Zeigler. 2004. "Design and Implementation of Distributed DEVS Simulation in a Peer to Peer Network System". In Proceedings of the 2004 Advanced Simulation Technologies Conference -- Design, Analysis, and Simulation of Distributed Systems (ASTC'04), Arlington, VA.
• 18: Zhang, M., B. P. Zeigler, and P. Hammonds. 2006. "DEVS/RMI -- An Auto-adaptive and Reconfigurable Distributed Simulation Environment for Engineering Studies". In Proceedings of the 2006 DEVS Integrative M&S Symposium (DEVS'06), Huntsville, AL.
• 19: Radharamanan Radhakrishnan , Dale E. Martin , Malolan Chetlur , Dhananjai Madhava Rao , Philip A. Wilsey, An Object-Oriented Time Warp Simulation Kernel, Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Computing in Object-Oriented Parallel Environments, p.13-23, December 08-11, 1998
• 20: Gabriel Wainer, Applying Cell-DEVS Methodology for Modeling the Environment, Simulation, v.82 n.10, p.635-660, October 2006 [doi>10.1177/0037549706073698]
• 21: Wainer, G. 2008. Discrete-Event Modeling and Simulation: A Practitioner's Approach. Taylor and Francis. To Appear.

INDEX TERMS

Keywords:
Cell-DEVS, DEVS, cluster systems, discrete event simulation, parallel simulation