INSIDE DISCRETE-EVENT SIMULATION SOFTWARE: HOW IT WORKS AND WHY IT MATTERS

This paper provides simulation practitioners and consumers with a grounding in how discrete-event simu-lation software works. Topics include discrete-event systems; entities, resources, control elements and operations; simulation runs; entity states; entity lists; and their management. The implementations of these generic ideas in AutoMod, SLX, ExtendSim, and Simio are described. The paper concludes with several examples of “why it matters ” for modelers to know how their simulation software works, includ-ing discussion of AutoMod, SLX, ExtendSim, Simio, Arena, ProModel, and GPSS/H.