SimWiz – Demonstration SimWiz – Demonstration of an Expert System-like of an Expert System-like User Interface for User Interface for Simulation Simulation

Moshe Pollatschekmoshep@ie.technion.ac.il

Conventional wisdomConventional wisdom

Select appropriate building

blocks from an inventory

Set their parameters

Connecting them

ProposedProposed interfaceinterfaceExpert system-like behavior. Top-down design. World-view familiar to industrial

engineer. Block diagramming.Modeling Flexibility.Clear, easily understandable and

transparent statement of the model making sense to the laymen.

Drilling down to details.

Illustrative exampleIllustrative example

Opening WindowOpening Window

List entity typesList entity types

List all delays that may List all delays that may happen to entitieshappen to entities

Show route of entities Show route of entities through delaysthrough delays

The delays are drown automatically but the user must place them and connect them

Initially delay blocks are colorless

Causes of delays Causes of delays Delay boxes are colored to reflect causes

Causes and routes induce further questions

Resources and times in Resources and times in procesprocessesses

Data of resourcesData of resources

Data of entitiesData of entities

Routing rulesRouting rules

Model file fragmentsModel file fragmentsBasic Objects of Simulation

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Entity Types that Pass Through the System

job

 

Delays where Entities Wait

qCPU waits for resource to become free

CPU waits for process (=activity) to end

Resources for Processes

rCPU

rDisk

 

Routing Entities Through Delays

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Entity Entries to Delays

job arrives at qCPU

.

Rules for Exiting Delays

CPU:randomly

qDisk with probability 0.72

qTape with probability 0.08

E with probability 0.2

Interaction between Objects

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Resources for Process Delays

CPU needs 1 units of rCPU

Disk needs 1 units of rDisk

Tape needs 1 units of rTape

rethink needs no resour

Data of Entities

================

job: interarrival time is EXPO(25/15)

First creation: EXPO(25/15)

 

Data of Delays

==============

CPU: duration is EXPO(0.8)

Disk: duration is EXPO(1.39)

Tape: duration is EXPO(12.5)

 

Data of Resources

=================

rCPU: number of available units is 1

rDisk: number of available units is 1

rTape: number of available units is 1