contextualize SST in the space of DES; compare SST with other DES options

[bhpayne]

documentation that contextualizes SST as a DES.

Deliverable: A document in Latex that contains hyperlinks posted to https://github.com/sstsimulator/

Scope: Compare SST with other DES frameworks (e.g., Simpy). When should someone use SST over other options (e.g., parallelization of SST)

[bhpayne]

https://github.com/researcherben/structural-simulation-toolkit/wiki

and

https://github.com/researcherben/structural-simulation-toolkit/wiki/what-type-of-DES-is-SST%3F

[bhpayne]

Contextualize simulation of multi-component system:

1. mockup: interfaces only; no data transformation; no timing
2. functional prototype: interfaces and data transformation; no timing
3. discrete event simulation: interfaces and data transformation and timing

Do not assume novices understand DES. Provide links to formal and informal references.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrete-event_simulation
  • https://www.southampton.ac.uk/~mb1a10/sim/Discrete_Event.pdf
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DEVS
  • "Formal Framework for Discrete-Event Simulation" https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01562929/document
• "Practical Process Simulation: Using Object-Oriented Techniques and C++" by Jose M. Garrido (Artech House, 1999)
• "Theory Of Modeling And Simulation" by Bernard P. Zeigler, Alexandre Muzy, and Ermesto Kofman. 3rd Ed. Academic Press, 2018.

Domains that share the DES label but are not in scope for SST because they feature person-in-the-loop: hospital simulations and military training in aviation.

[bhpayne]

DES-specific jargon vs SST-specific jargon

DES-specific jargon

• A "referent" is the thing being simulated.

SST-specific jargon

• components are connected to other components via links
• components are connected to a link via a port
• composition of components and links is implemented in a "project driver file"
• a "project driver file" is a Python file that specifies the links and components used in a simulation
• Messages transmitted among components in SST are labeled as "events".
• events are transmitted between components via links
• each component in SST is assigned a clock rate.  On each clock tick, the clock event handler is called.

The components can exchange messages every clock step, and execute an action as appropriate

[bhpayne]

https://github.com/researcherben/structural-simulation-toolkit/blob/master/contextualize_SST/README.md