A Java-based simulation manager for Web-based simulation

This paper discusses a Web-based simulation manager program that executes an application service provider (ASP) event for a customer who does not possess the in-house capability to program complex simulations. The utility in using this simulation manager is that the customer needs results in near real-time; that is, approximately the time to run one complete replication of the simulation model plus some overhead time to send the commands necessary to execute the simulation and to process the results. The simulation manager executes simulation studies in a parallel replications format, using either designed experiments or optimization methodologies, by sending the appropriate messages to a set of engine processors to cause the execution of the prescribed simulation trials. It then receives and analyzes the simulation results produced by the simulation engines, and sends a project report to the human customer.