Creating Robust Evolvable MSaaS Services: An Integrated Model-Driven Engineering Approach

Abstract

Abstract: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Modelling and Simulation (M&S) Group (MSG) is currently working towards the specification and development of an M&S as a Service (MSaaS) platform for supporting training and experimentation. The United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command - Soldier Center (DEVCOM SC) Simulation and Training Technology Center (STTC) and developers of the Normalized Systems eXpanders Factory (NSX bv) have developed a model-driven engineering approach for generating M&S services within the NATO MSaaS environment that is compatible with the High Level Architecture (HLA) distributed simulation standard. The generation of software from conceptual models for simulation logic and data aims to provide consistent model implementations across simulation systems, to improve configuration management, and to reduce the software development cost. In this contribution, we present this integrated model-driven approach that leverages two generative programming tools. At the level of individual simulations, the Generative Programming (GenProg) tool captures models in a Domain Specific Language (DSL), which allows model authors to specify model inputs, outputs, and logic, as well as test and generate the models in various programming languages and simulation architectures. At the federate level of HLA, the Normalized Systems (NS) code generation tool enables the definition of the HLA objects, and interactions of the Federation Object Model, to generate the interoperability classes needed to interact through the Run-Time Infrastructure, and to expose the simulation service. Together, these tools generate full M&S services from model definitions for deployment within a NATO MSaaS environment, remaining agnostic with respect to specific technologies. We furthermore present details of an implementation prototype, featuring the generation of simulation services based on GenProg and NS models, while highlighting the advantages and current limitations of the approach, as we aim to help realize the concept of MSaaS