Special Topics in Computer

Science Course
Dr. Ali Maqousi
Faculty of Information Technology
Petra University
Oct., 2010

Oct, 2010 Ver 1.0 1

 Modeling & Simulation
• Simulation: Imitate the operations of a facility or process,
usually via computer
– What’s being simulated is the system
– To study system, often make assumptions/approximations, both
logical and mathematical, about how it works
– These assumptions form a model of the system
– If model structure is simple enough, could use mathematical
methods to get exact information on questions of interest —
analytical solution.

Oct, 2010 Ver 1.0 2

 Modeling & Simulation
• But most complex systems require models
that are also complex (to be valid)
– Must be studied via simulation —evaluate
model numerically and collect data to
estimate model characteristics.

Oct, 2010 Ver 1.0 3

 Modeling & Simulation
• Some (not all) application areas

– Designing and analyzing manufacturing systems

– Evaluating military weapons systems or their logistics requirements
– Determining hardware requirements or protocols for communications
networks
– Determining hardware and software requirements for a computer
system
– Designing and operating transportation systems such as airports,
freeways, ports, and subways
– Evaluating designs for service organizations such as call centers,
fast-food restaurants, hospitals, and post offices
– Reengineering of business processes
– Determining ordering policies for an inventory system
– Analyzing financial or economic systems.

Oct, 2010 Ver 1.0 4

 Systems, Models & Simulation
• System: A collection of entities (people, parts, messages,
machines, servers, …) that act and interact together toward some
end (Schmidt and Taylor, 1970)
– In practice, depends on objectives of study
– Might limit the boundaries (physical and logical) of the system
– Judgment call: level of detail (e.g., what is an entity?)
– Usually assume a time element – dynamic system

• State of a system: Collection of variables and their values necessary

to describe the system at that time
– Might depend on desired objectives, output performance
measures
– Bank model: Could include number of busy tellers, time of arrival
of each customer, etc..

Oct, 2010 Ver 1.0 5

 Systems, Models & Simulation
• Types of systems
– Discrete
State variables change instantaneously at separated
points in time
Bank model: State changes occur only when a customer
arrives or departs
– Continuous
State variables change continuously as a function of
time
Airplane flight: State variables like position, velocity
change continuously
• Many systems are partly discrete, partly continuous

Oct, 2010 Ver 1.0 6

 Systems, Models & Simulation
• Classification of simulation models
– Static vs. dynamic
– Deterministic vs. stochastic
– Continuous vs. discrete
• Most operational models are dynamic,
stochastic, and discrete – will be called
discrete-event simulation models

Oct, 2010 Ver 1.0 7

 Discrete-Event Simulation

• Discrete-event simulation: Modeling of a system as it evolves over

time by a representation where the state variables change
instantaneously at separated points in time.
– More precisely, state can change at only a countable number of
points in time.
– These points in time are when events occur.

• Event: Instantaneous occurrence that may change the state

of the system.
– Sometimes get creative about what an “event” is … e.g., end of
simulation, make a decision about a system’s operation.

Oct, 2010 Ver 1.0 8

 Discrete-Event Simulation
• Example: Single-server queue

– Estimate expected average delay in queue (line, not service)

– State variables
* Status of server (idle, busy) – needed to decide what to do
with an arrival
* Current length of the queue – to know where to store an arrival that must
wait in line
* Time of arrival of each customer now in queue – needed to compute time in
queue when service starts.

– Events
Arrival of a new customer
Service completion (and departure) of a customer
Maybe – end-simulation event (a “fake” event) – whether
this is an event depends on how simulation terminates (a modeling decision)

Oct, 2010 Ver 1.0 9

 Network Simulation Software
• In communication and computer network
research, network simulation is a
technique where a program models the
behavior of a network by calculating the
interaction between the different network
entities (hosts/routers, data links, packets,
etc) using mathematical formulas.

Oct, 2010 Ver 1.0 10

 Examples of Network Simulation Software

• CNET network simulator enables

experimentation with various data link layer,
network layer, routing and transport layer
protocols, and with various network
configurations [McDonald, C. “A Network Specification Language
and Execution Environment for Undergraduate Teaching” Proceedings of
the ACM Computer Science Educational Technical Symposiums, March
1991.]

• CNET simulator runs under a variety of UNIX

and LINUX Platforms.
Oct, 2010 Ver 1.0 11
 Examples of Network Simulation Software

• NS-2 is a discrete event simulator targeted

at networking research. NS-2 provides
substantial support for simulation of TCP,
routing, and multicast protocols over wired
and wireless (local and satellite) networks.

• NS-2 simulator runs under a variety of

Platforms UNIX, LINUX, and Microsoft.

Oct, 2010 Ver 1.0 12

 Examples of Network Simulation Software

• Global Mobile Information System

simulator (GloMoSIM) is a network
protocol simulation software that simulates
wireless network systems.
• GloMoSIM uses the Parsec compiler
(Parsec is a C-based simulation language)
to compile the simulation protocols.

Oct, 2010 Ver 1.0 13

 Examples of Network Simulation Software

• OPNET allows to design and study communication networks,

devices, protocols, and application.

The application areas include:

1. Network planning (both LAN and/or WAN) and analysis of

performance and problems prior to actual implementation
2. Wireless and Satellite communication schemes and protocols
3. Microwave and Fiber-optic based Network Management
4. Protocol Development and management
5. Routing algorithm evaluation for routers, switches, and other
connecting devices.

Oct, 2010 Ver 1.0 14

 Why Simulation Software
• The advantages of using simulation software:

1 - Less time to develop working

hardware/software.
2 - Ability to try out different scenarios of
hardware and software attempts without the
down side of the cost and time.
3 - Predict potential problems of hardware
software before the actual use.
Oct, 2010 Ver 1.0 15