Component-oriented simulation architecture: Toward interoperability and interchangeability

In this paper we investigate two issues at the heart of simulation reusability: interoperability and interchangeability. Their implications for simulation technology are discussed. Based on our previous work on simulation component oriented world view and simulation component classification, the Component-Oriented Simulation Architecture (CORSA) is devised to address both issues. The ideas and considerations which motivated us in developing CORSA are discussed. The design and implementation of a prototype are also described briefly. A sequential PCS simulation has been developed using CORSA.. This exercise demonstrated several advantages of the component-based approach: flexibility, extensibility, and reusability. Experimental results show that the component-based approach is only slightly slower than the monolithic approach, whose complexity quickly grows to nearly unsurmountable proportions with the growth of complexity of the simulated system.