Yifan Zhu

Service-oriented simulation framework: An overview and unifying methodology

With the prevalence of net-centric environments, Service-Oriented Architectures (SOAs) have emerged as a paradigm that greatly impacts the modeling and simulation (M&S) community. This paper has two interrelated goals. The first is to give a comprehensive review of various service-oriented simulation frameworks to help researchers select the appropriate one for their specific purpose. The second goal is to combine the common features derived from the review into one unifying framework that can describe and prescribe various specific approaches. The focus of this paper is on the common functionalities of service-oriented simulations reflected in the review and unifying framework. In particular, we emphasize the way SOAs and M&S are combined, and the interoperability and composability challenges of distributed M&S services. We describe some fundamental concepts first. Then we present a comprehensive survey of several classical frameworks, including formalism-based, model-driven, interoperability protocol based, eXtensible Modeling and Simulation Framework (XMSF), Open Grid Services Architecture (OGSA) based, and ontology-driven frameworks. Based on the review, we propose a novel three-dimensional reference model that can unify the ad hoc approaches into a common framework. The model can be used as a guideline or an analytic means to find potential and possible future directions. In particular, the model inspects the crossover between the disciplines of M&S, service-orientation, and software/systems engineering. Based on the model, we present a detailed comparison of the reviewed frameworks. Finally the significance of the paper is discussed and future directions are recommended.With the prevalence of net-centric environments, Service-Oriented Architectures (SOAs) have emerged as a paradigm that greatly impacts the modeling and simulation (M&S) community. This paper has two interrelated goals. The first is to give a comprehensive review of various service-oriented simulation frameworks to help researchers select the appropriate one for their specific purpose. The second goal is to combine the common features derived from the review into one unifying framework that can describe and prescribe various specific approaches. The focus of this paper is on the common functionalities of service-oriented simulations reflected in the review and unifying framework. In particular, we emphasize the way SOAs and M&S are combined, and the interoperability and composability challenges of distributed M&S services. We describe some fundamental concepts first. Then we present a comprehensive survey of several classical frameworks, including formalism-based, model-driven, interoperability protocol based, eXtensible Modeling and Simulation Framework (XMSF), Open Grid Services Architecture (OGSA) based, and ontology-driven frameworks. Based on the review, we propose a novel three-dimensional reference model that can unify the ad hoc approaches into a common framework. The model can be used as a guideline or an analytic means to find potential and possible future directions. In particular, the model inspects the crossover between the disciplines of M&S, service-orientation, and software/systems engineering. Based on the model, we present a detailed comparison of the reviewed frameworks. Finally the significance of the paper is discussed and future directions are recommended.

Cooperative Searching Strategy for Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Based on Modified Probability Map

Cooperative target-searching of multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in uncertainty environment is an important research area in multi-UAVs cooperative control. The objective of multi-UAVs searching is to obtain the information of the searched area, decrease the uncertainty of this area and find the hidden targets as fast as possible. This paper introduces a new framework for UAV search operations and proposes a new approach to solve multi-UAVs cooperative searching problem. Aimed at the characteristics of the multi-UAVs cooperative searching problem, the modified probability map based cooperative searching strategy was discussed in detail. Based on the existing algorithms, the cooperative strategy was divided into three key parts, which are probability map initialization, probability map updating and the rules of UAV transfer. The search effectiveness of the Multi-UAVs system in the condition of Multi-target was analyzed based on the method of ABMS (Agent Based Modeling and Simulation). Simulation results demonstrated the effectiveness of the algorithm.

A model framework-based domain-specific composable modeling method for combat system effectiveness simulation

Combat system effectiveness simulation (CoSES) plays an irreplaceable role in the effectiveness measurement of combat systems. According to decades of research and practice, composable modeling and multi-domain modeling are recognized as two major modeling requirements in CoSES. Current effectiveness simulation researches attempt to cope with the structural and behavioral complexity of CoSES based on a unified technological space, and they are limited to their existing modeling paradigms and fail to meet these two requirements. In this work, we propose a model framework-based domain-specific composable modeling method to solve this problem. This method builds a common model framework using application invariant knowledge for CoSES, and designs domain-specific modeling infrastructures for subdomains as corresponding extension points of the framework to support the modeling of application variant knowledge. Therefore, this method supports domain-specific modeling in multiple subdomains and the composition of subsystem models across different subdomains based on the model framework. The case study shows that this method raises the modeling abstraction level, supports generative modeling, and promotes model reuse and composability.

A discrete particle swarm optimization algorithm applied in constrained static weapon-target assignment problem

The weapon-target assignment (WTA) problem is an important content in military operational research. In this paper, a discrete particle swarm optimization (DPSO) algorithm is presented to solve the constrained static weapon-target assignment (SWTA) problem subject to firing range constraint, weapon-target match constraint and so on. This constrained SWTA problem with upper bound on the number of weapons available to each weapon platform is a NP-complete mathematical problem to assign weapon platforms to targets properly. Unlike those one-to-one WTA problems, in this constrained SWTA model, one weapon platform can be assigned to several targets and one target can be attacked by more than one weapon in saturation attack. A special encoding strategy is used to satisfy the firing range constraint, weapon-target match constraint and available weapon quantity constraint. The proposed algorithm introduces the uniform mutation and crossover concepts of genetic algorithm (GA) into standard PSO algorithm to generate the update equation of the proposed DPSO algorithm. And penalty function method is adopted to deal with other constraints by adding restrictions to objective function as the fitness function. The simulation results demonstrate the proposed DPSO algorithm is very efficient to solve this constrained SWTA problem and superior to general GA and standard PSO algorithm.

A DSM-based multi-paradigm simulation modeling approach for complex systems

Complex systems contain hierarchical heterogeneous subsystems and diverse domain behavior patterns, which bring a grand challenge for simulation modeling. To cope with this challenge, the M&S community extends their existing modeling paradigms to promote reusability, interoperability and composability of simulation models and systems; however, these efforts are relatively isolated and limited to their own technical space. In this paper, we propose a domain specific modeling (DSM)-based multi-paradigm modeling approach which utilizes model driven engineering techniques to integrate current M&S paradigms and promote formal and automated model development. This approach constructs a simulation model framework to architect the structure of the overall simulation system and combines multiple M&S formalisms to describe the diverse domain behaviors; moreover, it provides domain specific language and environment support for conceptual modeling based on the model framework and formalisms. An application example on combat system effectiveness simulation illustrates the applicability of the approach.

Extend SRML schema based on DEVS: an executable DEVS language

This paper analyzes the significance of the representation and reusability of SRML when being used in simulation models as well as its drawbacks. The paper also discusses the ways to extend SRML schema based on DEVS. The emphasis is placed on the elaboration of mapping DEVS onto SRML schema to formulate SRMLs basic syntax and semantics for the structure and behavior representation of atomic model and coupled model. The model structure, such as property, input interface, output interface and sub-model composition, are described by a group of XML marks. The model behavior, such as external transition, internal transition, output and time-advance functions are described by script language and a group of standard interface offered by SRML simulator in script marks. The paper then reviews the SRML element architecture and finally gives a simulation demo of using SRML to build differential equation model.

Embed state machine into DEVS to build complex control system

DEVS provides a modular and hierarchical system modeling and simulation framework but lacks the ability of behavior modeling. Statecharts extends finite state machine and does outstanding jobs in modeling complicated behavior of systems by means of visual and flexible state-transition diagrams. Hence, a system modeling method, embedding statecharts into DEVS to complement each other, is raised. It can be used to build complicated intelligent control system. DEVS as a system modeling framework, provides simulation logical support and statecharts expands the event interaction mechanism of DEVS which can be used to modeling system behavior logic. The paper details the syntax and semantics of statecharts and DEVS, and emphasis on the mechanism of embedding statecharts into DEVS. The advantages of building control system models by embedding statecharts into DEVS are illustrated by an application example.

Amalgamating EC2 Theory and Holonic MAS to Design of Command and Control Architecture

The process of C2 architecture design needs to consider the factors such as changeable battlefield environment, so the designed C2 architecture should be flexible, adaptive and so on. The theory of Enterprise Command and Control (EC2) concerns application of systems science collaborative processes of command and control. It can describe the C2 process and the entity function models of the organization, and analyze the performance of the architecture. However, in the simulation and optimization of the organizational structure is powerless. Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) has become a natural tool for modeling and simulating complex systems, these systems usually contain a great number of entities interacting among themselves, and acting at different levels of abstraction. In this context, it seems unlikely that MAS will be able to faithfully represent complex systems without multiple granularities. The holonic paradigm has proven to be an effective solution to several problems with such complex underlying organizations. The objective of this paper is to propose a preliminary framework of a holonic multi-agent model for the C2 architecture design. Which satisfies the characteristics of Holon’s self-similarity, and combines the advantages of EC2, realized the mechanism of perception, decision-making and execution of C2 architecture and entity function models from different granularity.

Adding OPM based executable context to weapons and equipment operational effectiveness simulation

Operational Effectiveness simulation is a pervasive method to evaluate the effectiveness of weapons and equipment. However, it always separately focuses on the weapons and equipment to evaluate with little consideration of their context. Besides, currently weapons and equipment operational effectiveness simulations within their context gain extensive attention of weapons and equipment design and manufacturing departments. OPM (Object Process Methodology) is a methodology for design and development of complex systems and its model owns natural executable property, which is suitable for describing the context. So in the paper, to support weapons and equipment operational effectiveness simulation within their context, we use OPM to model the context, and then translate the OPM model to and integrate it in WESS (a weapon effectiveness simulation system we developed) as a simulation model, supporting weapon effectiveness simulation to run within its executable context. An example is designed finally to validate the method.