Conservative synchronization in object-oriented parallel battlefield discrete event simulations

We present a conservative strategy for spatially decomposed parallel discrete event battlefield simulation. The traditional null message algorithm provides a foundation from which a mapping to generic simulation attributes can be made. We informally discuss preservation of logical correctness and freedom from deadlock. Experimental results demonstrate the potential execution time savings when load imbalance is not dominant; more importantly, they highlight improvement opportunities in spite of potential load imbalance. The net result is that a very reasonable performance gain can be delivered for little effort in a way that supports good simulation system design principles. The approach is straightforward and can be easily implemented as part of a more general sequential or parallel simulation support environment. While the approach is expressed in terms of battlefield simulation, its essence applies to many simulation applications