Hybrid Simulation of Distributed Large-Scale Critical Infrastructures

Abstract

The distributed and complexity nature of modern critical infrastructures that have to provide integrated services through the interoperability of heterogeneous subsystems, even spread among different countries, require new methodologies and tools to dominate overall systems complexity. In particular, in order to get knowledge about their real behavior and define dependability improvement actions, such complex and distributed systems should be reproduced and simulated locally. On the other hand, the extraordinary large number of their components cause a large-scale of the resulting model, limiting its resolution by current simulators. This paper presents a framework to implement hybrid simulation of distributed large-scale critical infrastructures, such as Air Traffic Control (ATC) and Vessel Traffic System (VTS). High Level Architecture (HLA) has been introduced into the engine simulations platform as its design and development foundation, whereas cloud-based virtualization techniques have been exploited in order to reproduce the overall distributed system on a local adaptive testbed. The use of such a framework can result in a considerable reduction of costs in all the system life phases, as well as an increased system dependability level.

A Systematic Literature Review on Military Software Defined Networks

“…The author shows how using SDN as a networking tool to create a virtual network infrastructure on a server that is used for quality assurance and testing, in order to ease network provisioning. Accordingly, Ficco et al [83] demonstrated how OpenFlow in test-beds for military use significantly reducing the costs of testing critical infrastructures.…”

An HLA‐based framework for simulation of large‐scale critical systems

“…The evaluation of complex systems requires a sophisticated modeling, simulation, and experimentation infrastructure, which requires the integration of existing simulation environments, real sub‐systems (usually Commercial Off‐The‐Shelf), and experimental platforms, which have to interact in a coordinated way. Therefore, specific hybrid and distributed modeling strategies, which integrate simulation and emulation environments, supported by novel technologies for resources virtualization and working environment reproduction, represent the most promising way to define the testing environment needed to support such complex paradigm .…”

CIMoRE: Developing a framework for a critical infrastructure modeling and response environment

“…There are no standards that exist for cross infrastructure modeling. In a coupled model, however, there are two widely accepted methods for exchanging information between simulations: the High Level Architecture HLA has been more widely used to implement distributed critical infrastructures such as air traffic control and vessel traffic systems [15]; electric grid and its SCADA systems [16]; and telecommunications, railway and electric systems [17]. A similar publish-subscribe communication paradigm is called Quality of Service Descriptors that has been implemented in a grid architecture for the electrical grid to aid in information sharing among critical infrastructures [18].…”