Automatic generation of simulation models from neutral libraries: an example

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have proposed the development of neutral libraries of simulation components. The availability of such libraries would simplify the generation of simulation models, enable component-based modeling, and speed Internet-based simulation services. The result would be a reduction in the complexity of simulation modeling and analysis. We consider a discrete-event simulation of the flow of jobs through a job shop. We describe the information requirements for the components in that simulation and provide formal models based on those requirements. We then derive a database structure from these formal models and discuss the population of that database with the data entries for a sample job shop. Finally, we examine the translators we developed to go from the neutral representation of the simulation components to the representation required by a commercial simulation package.