Efficient Flattening Algorithm for Hierarchical and Dynamic Structure Discrete Event Models

Abstract

Discrete event models are widely used to replicate, analyze, and understand complex systems. DEVS (Discrete Event System Specification) formalism enables hierarchical modeling, so it provides an efficiency in the model development of complex models. However, the hierarchical modeling incurs prolonged simulation executions due to indirect event exchanges through the model hierarchy. Although direct event paths are applied to mitigate this overhead, the situation becomes even worse when a model changes its structures during simulation execution, called a dynamic structure model. This article suggests Coupling Relation Graph (CRG) and Strongly Coupled Component (SCC) concepts to improve hierarchical and dynamic structure DEVS simulation execution. CRG is a directed graph representing DEVS model structure, and SCC is a group of connected components in a CRG. Using CRG and SCC, this article presents (1) how to develop CRG from a DEVS model and (2) how to construct and update direct event paths with respect to dynamic structural changes. In particular, compared to the previous works, the proposed method focuses on the reduction of the updating costs for the direct event paths. Through theoretical and empirical analyses, this article shows that the proposed method significantly reduces the simulation execution time, especially when a simulation model contains lots of components and changes its model structures frequently. We expect that the proposed method would support the faster simulation executions of complex hierarchical and dynamic structure models.