The Comparative and Concurrent Simulation of discrete-event experiments

Abstract

Discrete-Event Simulation is a powerful, but underexploited alternative for many kinds of physical experimentation. It permits what is physically impossible or unaffordable, to conduct and run related experiments in parallel, against each other. Comparative and Concurrent Simulation (CCS) is a parallel experimentation method that adds a comparative dimension to discrete-event simulation. As a methodology or style, CCS resembles a manypronged rake; its effectiveness is proportional to the number of prongs--the number of parallel experiments. It yields information in parallel and in time order, rather than in the arbitrary order of one-pronged serial simulations. CCS takes advantage of the similarities between parallel experiments via the one-for-many simulation of their identical parts; if many experiments are simulated, then it is normally hundreds to thousands times faster than serial simulation. While CCS is a one-dimensional method, a more general, multi-dimensional or multidomain version is MDCCS. MDCCS permits parent experiments to interact and produce offspring experiments, i.e., to produce more, but smaller experiments, and many zero-size/zero-cost experiments. MDCCS is more general, informative, and faster (usually over 100:1) than CCS for most applications. It handles more complex applications and experiments, such as multiple faults, variant executions of a software program, animation, and others.