Extending the structured modeling framework for discrete-event simulation

Structured modeling (SM) has made a significant contribution to the development of integrated model management systems by providing a common framework for presenting a wide variety of models. However, because SM focuses on representing the static portion of models, it is somewhat awkward to use for discrete-event simulation (DEVS). The author presents a proposal for extended structured modeling (ESM), an extension of the SM framework intended to accommodate the needs of DEVS. Specifically, she proposes adding three new types of elements to SM: random attribute elements to represent random variables; action elements to represent changes in static model elements; and transaction elements to represent control structures for dynamic interactions. She illustrates the use of ESM for describing a DEVS model and shows that the proposed extensions are consistent with the desirable properties of the original SM framework