Component-oriented simulation architecture: Toward interoperability and interchangeability

In this paper we investigate two issues at the kernel of simulation reusability: interoperability and interchangeability. Their implications on the simulation technology are discussed. Based on our previous work on simulation component oriented world view and simulation component classification, the Component-ORiented Simulation Architecture (CORSA) is devised to address both issues. The ideas and considerations which motivated us in developing CORSA are discussed. The, design and implementation of a prototype is also described briefly. A sequential PCS simulation has been developed using CORSA. This exercise demonstrated several advantages of the component-based approach: flexibility, extensibility as well as reusability. Experimental results show that the component-based approach is only slightly slower than the monolithic approach, whose complexity quickly grows to nearly unsurmountable proportions with the growth of complexity of the simulated system.