Parallel simulation of DEVS and Cell-DEVS models on Windows-based PC cluster systems

Abstract

The growing popularity of Networks of Workstations (NOW) in scientific computation has drawn increasing interest from the M&S community. This paper addresses the issue of parallel discrete-event simulation of DEVS and Cell-DEVS models on a Microsoft Windows-based cluster system comprising interconnected general-purpose personal computers. We present the architecture and features of PCD++Win, a parallel simulator that takes advantage of the multi-purpose graphical user interface of the DeinoMPI middleware for construction of ad-hoc PC clusters and configuration of simulation environment. This environment significantly reduces the learning curve for general users and the cost of the simulation platform. PCD++Win has been developed using a modular approach that promotes code reuse and allows for easy switching to other middleware technologies. The portability of the simulator is enhanced with multi-platform programming and compilation techniques. Moreover, it leaves open the possibility of further extensions such as Web-based distributed simulation and database-based model construction by leveraging the native support of Microsoft Visual Studio. The experiments demonstrate the capability of the new simulator, making it an ideal M&S toolkit for tapping the computational power of general-purpose desktop computers.