Systems of systems simulation using the high level architecture

Abstract

A systems of systems simulation models a complete system in terms of its subcomponents. In a distributed setting, the subcomponents form the distributed components of the distributed simulation, or in the terminology of the High Level Architecture, the subcomponents form the federates of the federation. A problem exists when multiple systems are simulated within the context of a single federation. Here it becomes necessary for the federates modelling the subcomponents of a system to filter received data to ensure that data intrinsic to another system is not processed. One approach to allow this filtering is to augment the data model of the simulation to include system identification information and inform each subcomponent of the system identifier to which it belongs. A second approach is to use the Data Distribution Management services provided by the High Level Architecture with the system identification being used in the construction of regions and all intra-system data being communicated through those regions. A third approach involves constructing the simulation as a hierarchical federation community with a single federation modelling a single system and only inter-system communication being communicated outside the federation. This paper discusses the architecture and implementation issues of these three approaches with a simulation of vote tallying in an election used as a case study.