Hierarchical Activity-Based Models for Control Flows in Parallel Discrete Event System Specification Simulation Models

Abstract

Behavior modeling grounded in the Discrete-Event System Specification (DEVS) and Unified Modeling Language (UML) activity specifications is crucial for simulating dynamical systems. The Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) design approach provides flexible yet rigorous layered metamodels for the UML activity diagrams. Our approach for behavior modeling is focused on the action and control concepts in the UML activity metamodels and realizing them as artifacts according to the DEVS formalism. The syntax and semantics for the artifacts conform to the parallel DEVS model specification and execution protocol. We use the system-theoretic state, component, and hierarchy concepts as the foundation for formulating the DEVS Activity models and supported with a prototype graphical tool developed in Sirius. This research also proposes the Parallel DEVS as a formal approach for examining the semantics of the UML Activities. We develop, simulate, and analyze a set of prototypical multi-processor architecture systems demonstrating different synchronization and selection schemes using the DEVS-Suite and MS4 Me simulators.

Keywords

• Activity diagrams
• behavior modeling
• DEVS
• parallelism
• model-based design
• modeling & simulation