Business Process Simulation: Transformation of BPMN 2.0 to Discrete Event System Specification

Theoretical modeling is a complicated characteristic of a simulation study that straight affects the quality and effectiveness of simulation projects. This paper presents a model to model transformation from a conceptual modeling language to a simulation model specification. BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) is worn for theoretical modeling and DEVS (Discrete Event System Specification) is elected for simulation model requirement. Simulation is a dynamic feature of MDSE and which explains the need of coherent M&S formalisms for simulation activities.Accordingly, this paper presents the simulation of service systems based on DEVS models. It defines a transformation approach of BPMN models into DEVS simulation models based on the metamodel approach, and describes the enrichment of obtained DEVS models through performance indicators (time and costs)

A Framework for Executable Systems Modeling

Systems Modeling Language (SysML), like its parent language, the Unified Modeling Language (UML), consists of a number of independently derived model languages (i.e. state charts, activity models etc.) which have been co-opted into a single modeling framework. This, together with the lack of an overarching meta-model that supports uniform semantics across the various diagram types, has resulted in a large unwieldy and informal language schema. Additionally, SysML does not offer a built in framework for managing time and the scheduling of time based events in a simulation. In response to these challenges, a number of auxiliary standards have been offered by the Object Management Group (OMG); most pertinent here are the foundational UML subset (fUML), Action language for fUML (Alf), and the UML profile for Modeling and Analysis of Real Time and Embedded Systems (MARTE). However, there remains a lack of a similar treatment of SysML tailored towards precise and formal modeling in the systems engineering domain. This work addresses this gap by offering refined semantics for SysML akin to fUML and MARTE standards, aimed at primarily supporting the development of time based simulation models typically applied for model verification and validation in systems engineering. The result of this work offers an Executable Systems Modeling Language (ESysML) and a prototype modeling tool that serves as an implementation test bed for the ESysML language. Additionally a model development process is offered to guide user appropriation of the provided framework for model building

A DSDEVS-Based Model for Verifying Structural Constraints in Dynamic Business Processes

This paper presents a DSDEVS-based model “Dynamic Structure Discrete Event System specification” for modeling and simulating business processes with dynamic structure regarding to different contexts. Consequently, this model, formally, improves the reuse of configurable business processes. Thus, the proposed model allows the analysts to personalize their configurable business processes in a sound manner by verifying a set of structure properties, such as, the lack of synchronization and the deadlock by means of simulation. The implementation was done in DEVS-Suite simulator, which is based on DEVSJAVA models

More-Space – A Simulation Tool for University Room Management

As proposed in various studies, educational facilities hold a high potential yield for improvement of room utilization. The goal of the project “MoreSpace” at Vienna University of Technology (TU Vienna) was to develop a hybrid modeling approach which helps to increase the efficiency of the university’s space utilization. Besides coupling of Discrete Event Simulation (DEVS), Agent-based (AB) methods and Cellular Automata (CA), successful deployment of such a model requires a thorough integration within the peripheral system. Which in turn leads to preconditions that have to be met, (e.g. by input - data, visualization of results, dissemination, etc.). This paper covers the methods applied for analyses of the model and the peripheral system, which enable model integration. For this is necessary to also focus on the psycho-social layer of the institution, as it is this layer that often leads to rejection of otherwise “good” solutions by the people within institutions. The paper further describes a deployment matrix which puts the simulations - models mode of operation (i.e. one time utilization for consulting, recurrent and frequent utilization) into context with met preconditions and the required depth of system integration. This allows it to estimate whether a model can be deployed as intended or not; with alternatives being either a transformation of the system, reformulation of the question(s) towards the model or - in the worst case - abortion of the deployment process. In the latter case the value of the deployment matrix lies within an early judgment of the situation saving resources that would have been spend otherwise. In addition it is possible to use these for developing alternative solutions in support of the intentional goals

Learning and testing stochastic discrete event

Dissertação de mestrado em Engenharia de InformáticaSistemas de eventos discretos (DES) são uma importante subclasse de sistemas (à luz da teoria dos sistemas). Estes têm sido usados, particularmente na indústria para analisar e modelar um vasto conjunto de sistemas reais, tais como, sistemas de produção, sistemas de computador, sistemas de controlo de tráfego e sistemas híbridos. O nosso trabalho explora uma extensão de DES com ênfase nos processos estocásticos, comummente chamado como sistemas de eventos discretos estocásticos (SDES). Existe assim a necessidade de estabelecer uma abstração estocástica através do uso de processos semi-Markovianos generalizados (GSMP) para SDES. Assim, o objetivo do nosso trabalho é propor uma metodologia e um conjunto de algoritmos para aprendizagem de GSMP, usar técnicas de model-checking estatístico para a verificação e propor duas novas abordagens para teste de DES e SDES (respetivamente, não estocasticamente e estocasticamente). Este trabalho também introduz uma noção de modelação, analise e verificação de sistemas contínuos e modelos de perturbação no contexto da verificação por model-checking estatístico.Discrete event systems (DES) are an important subclass of systems (in systems theory). They have been used, particularly in industry, to analyze and model a wide variety of real systems, such as production systems, computer systems, traffic systems, and hybrid systems. Our work explores an extension of DES with an emphasis on stochastic processes, commonly called stochastic discrete event systems (SDES). There was a need to establish a stochastic abstraction for SDES through generalized semi-Markov processes (GSMP). Thus, the aim of our work is to propose a methodology and a set of algorithms for GSMP learning, using model checking techniques for verification, and to propose two new approaches for testing DES and SDES (non-stochastically and stochastically). This work also introduces a notion of modeling, analysis, and verification of continuous systems and disturbance models in the context of verifiable statistical model checking

Definition of Virtual Reality simulation models using Specification and Description Language Diagrams

A full representation of a simulation model encompasses the behavior of the elements that define the model, the definition of the probability distributions that define the delays of the events that control the model, the experimental framework needed for execution, and the graphical representation of certain model elements. This paper aims to use specification and description language to achieve a full model representation by adding two extensions to the language, which allows for a complete and unambiguous definition of a discrete simulation model that is similar to a common discrete operations research simulation tool.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Toward Accessible Multilevel Modeling in Systems Biology: A Rule-based Language Concept

Promoted by advanced experimental techniques for obtaining high-quality data and the steadily accumulating knowledge about the complexity of life, modeling biological systems at multiple interrelated levels of organization attracts more and more attention recently. Current approaches for modeling multilevel systems typically lack an accessible formal modeling language or have major limitations with respect to expressiveness. The aim of this thesis is to provide a comprehensive discussion on associated problems and needs and to propose a concrete solution addressing them

Computer automated multi-paradigm modelling for analysis and design of traffic networks

Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works. H. Vangheluwe, and J. de Lara, "Computer automated multi-paradigm modelling for analysis and design of traffic networks", Proceedings of the 2004 Winter Simulation Conference, 2004, Volumen 1, Heidelberg, Germany, 2004Computer automated multiparadigm modelling (CAMPaM) is an enabler for domain-specific analysis and design. Traffic, a new untimed visual formalism for vehicle traffic networks, is introduced. The syntax of traffic models is meta-modelled in the entity-relationship diagrams formalism. From this, augmented with concrete syntax information, a visual modelling environment is synthesized using our CAMPaM tool AToM3, a tool for multiformalism and meta-modelling. The semantics of the traffic formalism is subsequently modelled by mapping traffic models onto Petri net models. As models' abstract syntax is graph-like, graph rewriting can be used to transform models. The advantages of a domain-specific formalism such as traffic as opposed to a generic formalism such as Petri nets are presented. We demonstrate how mapping onto Petri nets allows one to employ the vast array of Petri net analysis techniques. A coverability graph is generated and conservation analysis is automated by transforming this graph into an integer linear programming specificationJuan de Lara’s work has been partially sponsored by the Spanish Interdepartmental Commission of Science and Technology (CICYT), project number TIC2002-01948. Hans Vangheluwe gratefully acknowledges partial support for this work by a National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Individual Research Grant. The authors wish to thank Ms. Sokhom Pheng for her work on the Petri Net conservation analysis during her “Modelling and Simulation Based Design” project at McGill Universit