Generalized Array Driven Simulation Model

Generalized Array Driven Simulation Model

       Disclosed is a method for using an array to represent a
system when using simulation modeling.

      Significant simulation model productivity gains are experienced
by using an array to represent systems.  The array contains all the
required information to represent the system.  A simulation model
interprets the array, "executing" each row of the array on a common
set of resources.

      The identity of the resource that a job uses and the job
service time or the amount of passive resource to consume (removal of
token(s) from a passive resource) or to renew (replacement of
token(s) in a passive resource) is defined by the array.  In the
sample array (Fig.  1), information is grouped in column pairs with
the first column of the pair defining the resource ID, or a command
and the second column of the pair defining the duration of time that
resource is used (service time) or a command parameter.  For example,
if the first column contains a resource ID then the second column
contains the job service time.  If the first column contains a
command, then the second column contains a command parameter.  In
this example, commands will cause jobs at the decision node to split,
terminate, wait, acquire a passive resource (a token), release a
passive resource (a token), skip to the next entry in the array
(execute a "noop" for the current line), etc.  The items represented
in the first two columns are repeated for columns three and four,
five and six, etc., with each pair of columns representing a
resource/service time or command/parameter.

      A simulation model which interprets the array is composed of a
source node, a sink node, a decision node and a group of resource
nodes (see Fig. 2).  A job enters the model at a source node and
circulates through the decision node to the needed resource and then
back to decision node for routing to the next resource (defined on
the next row of the array).  This continues until the job terminates
at a sink node at the conclusion of the task.

      It is realized th...