Discrete-event simulation for the design and evaluation of physical protection systems

Explores the use of discrete-event simulation for the design and control of physical protection systems for fixed-site facilities housing items of significant value. The paper begins by discussing several modeling and simulation activities currently being performed in designing and analyzing these protection systems and then discusses the capabilities that design/analysis tools should have. The authors then discuss in detail how some of these new capabilities have been implemented in software to achieve a prototype design and analysis tool. The simulation software technology provides a communications mechanism between a running simulation and one or more external programs. In the prototype security analysis tool, these capabilities are used to facilitate human-in-the-loop interaction and to support a real-time connection to a virtual reality model of the facility being analyzed. This simulation tool can be used for both training (in real-time mode) and facility analysis and design (in fast mode).