System Entity Structure Extension to Integrate Abstraction Hierarchy and Time Granularity into DEVS Modeling and Simulation
Résumé
The Modeling and Simulation (M&S) of complex systems often requires models described at different levels of details characterized by differences in abstraction hierarchy and/or time granularity. The Discrete Event System Specification (DEVS) is a framework based on mathematical systems theory that offers a computational basis for application of M&S to systems engineering and that has become widely adopted for its support of discrete-event, continuous, and hybrid applications. A fundamental representation of DEVS hierarchical modular model structures is the System Entity Structure (SES) which represents a design space via the elements of a system and their relationships in hierarchical and axiomatic manner. As it has been described in a number of publications the SES supports development, pruning, and generation of DEVS simulation models. The goal of this paper is to propose an extension of SES in order to integrate both the concepts of abstraction hierarchy and time granularity into DEVS. This paper explains in detail: (i) the concepts of abstraction hierarchy and time granularity; (ii) the extension of SES in order to take into account these concepts; (iii) DEVS M&S of complex systems according to different levels of details (abstraction hierarchy and time granularity); (iv) the use of the Python DEVS simulator (DEVSimPy) to implement the management of the abstraction hierarchy and time granularity. A real case study is given to illustrate the proposed approach and follow-on research needed to implement the concepts is discussed.