composable, reusable model components

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composable, reusable model components

• Paul Gustavson
• SimVentions, Inc.
• [phone]
• pgustavson_at_simventions.com

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Requirements of XMSF

• XMSF must
• enable simulations to interact directly and
  scalable over a highly distributed network,
  achieved through compatibility between a web
  framework and networking technologies.
• be equally usable by human and software agents.
• support composable, reusable model components.
• not be constrained by proprietary technology or
  legally encumbering patents, since such barriers
  discourage the free, open, ad hoc development of
  interconnected tactical models and simulations.

To allow maximum utility and flexibility,
modeling and simulation environments will be
constructed from affordable, reusable components
interoperating through an open systems
architecture. DMSO Perspective (Vision)XMSF
SymposiumPhil Zimmerman. Sep 2002
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Base Object Models (BOM) An Effort To Leverage

• Components for Composable Simulation
  Interoperability Environments
• Promotes reusability
• Open Community development effort
• Grass roots movement
• started in 1998 within SISO
• Focus towards a standard
• Utilizes XML and XML-based standards
• To Define Interface
• To Capture Meta-data (intent of Use, Behavior, 3D
  rendering, historical use)
• To promote adaptability of disparate systems
  (using Information Interchange Agents)

• Backward compatibility
• To HLA
• Information Management
• Design Time BOMs (Pure XML)
• Run-time BOMs (Compiled, Platform specific,
  easily distributable)
• Can be leveraged by Web Services
• Collaborative Development
• BOM Repositories
• Meta-data matching
• Execution
• Dynamic Distribution
• Persistent Data
• Supports other initiatives
• SCORM BOMs used to provide virtual hands-on
  learning - a behavioral experience using MS
• C4I Co-enabler for C4ISR MS interoperability
  (including NCES)
• more!

Focus on Composability The capability to select
and assemble components in various combinations
into complete, validated simulation environments
to satisfy specific user requirements across a
variety of application domains, levels of
resolution, and time scales
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Technology Hierarchy

• XMSF
• Web Services
• Repositories
• URL
• Services Discovery
• UDDI
• LDAP
• Services Description
• WSDL
• XML Messaging / Collaboration
• XML-PRC
• SOAP
• XMLP
• Service Transport
• HTTP
• SMTP
• FTP
• BEEP
• Network Services

• Structural Type (Categories)
• Interface (IF) BOMs
• Encapsulated (ECAP) BOMs
• Behavioral Type
• Interaction BOMs
• Trigger BOMs
• Assembly Type
• Design-Time BOMs (DTBs)
• Run-Time BOMs (RTBs)
• Generalization Level
• Concrete BOMs
• Abstract BOMs
• Other Important Facets
• Meta-Data

BOM Dimensions
An XML Schema will identify the base elements
(ontology) required of an Interface BOM. Other
XML Schemas are applied to support various
dimensions of a BOM
BOMs / SRML not currently recognized by XMSF
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Technology Hierarchy

• XMSF
• Web Services
• Repositories
• URL
• Services Discovery
• UDDI
• LDAP
• Services Description
• WSDL
• XML Messaging / Collaboration
• XML-PRC
• SOAP
• XMLP
• Service Transport
• HTTP
• SMTP
• FTP
• BEEP
• Network Services

Simulation ReferenceMarkup Language
Simulation is the basis for the next killer
internet app Dr. Anita Jones (2002)

• XML Schema for describing simulation models
• Submitted to W3C.org
• Like HTML for simulation
• Standard simulation structure and behavior
  representations can enable the same
  interoperability and reuse that HTML provides.
• The Simulation Reference Simulator provides a
  runtime environment for structural models marked
  up with SRML
• Uses scripts (like JavaScript, Python, C),
  plug-ins, and item classes to infuse simulation
  behavior into XML structures

Boeing wants to share SRML, and is evaluating
interest, as a worldwide royalty-free standard.
BOMs / SRML not currently recognized by XMSF
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XMSF Functional Requirements
Web / XML Internet / Networking Modeling and Simulation
     
Data Representations Network Quality of Service (QoS) Backward Compatibility
Security Considerations Multicast Authoritative Representation
Service Descriptions and Bindings Reliable Multicast Transport Composability
GUI Descriptions (Visual BOMs) Graceful Startup Multi-resolution modeling
State-Transition Description End-to-End Network Status and Performance monitoring Tactical System Integration
Transactions Management of policy-based filtering technology Time Services
Ontologies Security Simulation Support Services (Logging / Playback)
Repositories Multi-sensor systems  
Search Engines Middleware services  
Composability Network Timing  
  Over-the-net protocols  
  Grid and cluster network computing  
  Test Environment  
Requirement Areas in which BOMs are intending to
support / enable
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Opportunities / Items of Interest

• BOM Product Dev Group (PDG)
• Paul Gustavson
• SimVentions
• [phone]
• pgustavson_at_simventions.com
• SRML Study Group (SG)
• Steven W. Reichenthal
• Boeing
• [phone]
• steven.w.reichenthal_at_boeing.com
• W3C SRMLhttp//www.w3.org/Submission/2002/07/
• Recent Papers
• 02S-SIW-111 CODE-Net XML, SOAP and
  Simulation Development
• 02F-SIW-038 SRML A Foundation for
  Representing BOMs and Supporting Reuse
• 03S-SIW-031 A Common Framework for Military
  MS and C4I Systems
• 03S-SIW-143 Case Study Prototyping a
  Mega-BOM with SRML for Next-Generation Combat
  Support

BOM PDG/SRML SG Teleconferences   Feb 12,
2003_____________1200pm-200pm EST   Feb 26,
2003_____________1200pm-200pm EST   March 12,
2003___________1200pm-2pm EST   March 26,
2003___________1200pm-200pm EST   April 13,
2003____________1200pm-200pm EST   April 30,
2003  ___________1200pm-200pm EST  Phone
    850 921 2560    SUNCOM 291 2560
BOM/SRML Face-to-Face Meetings Spring
Simulation Interoperability Workshop
(SIW) Tuesday - April 1st Hyatt Orlando Pelican
C
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AddendumSlides
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BOM Evolution
1995
1998
2002
2000
2003
2030
2001
1996
2010
1999
ReferenceFOM Study Group
Rapidly composableand scalable MS
BOM Study Group
SRML
RPR FOM
HLA
BOMSTANDARD
BOM Methodology Strawman
The Next Media Revolution
FOMpiece parts (FEDEP, OMT)
HLA1516
Future innovations evolve around open
standards - Scott McNealy, Sun Microsystems
(2001)
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Whats on the Horizon?

• BOM Standard open, accessible
• BOM Components
• BOM Tools
• BOM Repositories
• Collaborative Web Services
• to support the creation, deployment and use of
  BOMs for simulation development
• SOAP/XML
• see 02S-SIW-111

Collaborative Engineering Environment
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Definitions
The Extensible Modeling and Simulation Framework
(XMSF) is a composable set of standards, profiles
and recommended practices for web-based modeling
simulation (MS). XML-based markup languages,
Internet technologies and Web Services will
enable a new generation of distributed MS
applications to emerge, develop and interoperate.
Base Object Models (BOMs) can be thought of as
components representing an independent aspect of
simulation interplay that can be used as a
building block in the development and extension
of a simulation and/or interoperable environments.
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Comparative XML Emphasis

• XML is the technology of choice for the syntax
  and representation of root data structures.
• Enables equivalent model representations to be
  described, validated and even auto-generated in a
  variety of human and programming languages.
• Provides a rich and already well-developed set of
  technologies suitable as an available basis to
  begin achieving XMSF goals.

• XML provides a mechanism for defining and
  validating context, and facilitating
  understanding of the data being exchanged.
• XML standards (i.e. Namespaces, Schemas,
  Transformations) are being leveraged to support
  the various BOM dimensions and BOM ontology.
• XML schemas are used to identify the essential
  meta-data to be captured, cataloged and carried
  forward within a BOM in order to provide for
  shared understanding and community reuse.
• Some of the XML Markups based on these schemas
  include
• Behavioral markup in the Simulation Reference
  Markup Language (SRML),
• Relational markup for data-rich simulation,
• Searchability markup for the semantic web,
• HLA markup for OMT compatibility,
• BOM-specific markup.
• Graphical markup using X3D

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BOM Architectural Dimensions

• Behavioral Type
• Interaction BOMs
• Trigger BOMs

• Structural Type (Categories)
• Interface (IF) BOMs
• Encapsulated (ECAP) BOMs

• Generalization Level
• Concrete BOMs
• Abstract BOMs

• Assembly Type
• Design-Time BOMs (DTBs)
• Run-Time BOMs (RTBs)

• Other Important Facets
• Meta-Data

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Component Attributes

• May be used by other software elements (clients).
• May be used by clients without the intervention
  of component developers.
• Includes a specification of all dependencies
  (hardware and software platform, versions, other
  components).
• Includes a precise specification of the
  functionalities it offers.
• Is usable on the sole basis of that
  specification.
• Is easily composable with other components.
• Can be integrated.
• Components are NOT objects in the OO sense.
• Not just software (hardware and data too)
• Open source desirable but not required.

From paper 02-SIW-052
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Component Attributes

• May be used by other software elements
  (clients).BOMs are intended to be reused by a
  wide breadth of simulations and systems
• May be used by clients without the intervention
  of component developers.There is clear
  delineation between BOM component writers and
  component users. (easier to use than write).
• Includes a specification of all dependencies
  (hardware and software platform, versions, other
  components).Design Time BOMS are platform /
  language independent.
• Includes a precise specification of the
  functionalities it offers.An XML Schema will
  identify the base elements (ontology) required of
  an Interface BOM. Other schemas are applied to
  support various dimensions of a BOM
• Is usable on the sole basis of that
  specification.An Interface BOM is not
  necessarily a component (its a pattern), an
  Encapsulated BOM, however is a component
  providing the behavior that can be used on the
  sole basis of that specification.

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Component Attributes

• Is easily composable with other components.The
  composition of individual BOMs for defining a
  simulation or simulation environment is used to
  produce a Mega-BOM. A Mega-BOM carries with it
  the meta-data associated to BOMs plus the
  dependency and interrelationships between BOMs.
• Can be integrated.Design Time BOMs (DTBs), which
  are platform / language neutral, can be used and
  integrated at design time and requires use of an
  XML parser for runtime support.
• Run-time BOMs (RTBs), which are optimized for a
  specific platform/language and carries Behavior,
  can be used and integrated either at design time
  or dynamically at runtime.Mega-BOM is used to
  represent the interface for a player (or an
  environment) and can be integrated within the HLA
  domain by transformation to a FOM (or SOM).

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Component Attributes

1. Components are NOT objects in the OO sense.BOMs
   are representations of OO-like classes (not yet
   objects). The instantiation of a class during a
   simulation produces an object.
2. Not just software (hardware and data too)BOMs
   are comprised of various elements of meta-data
   which can represent software (behavior), and the
   interface associated to hardware (but not the
   hardware itself).
3. Open source desirable but not required.DTBs
   containing the behavioral modeling wrapped up
   within XML can be considered open source if they
   are distributed freely. DTBs can also be
   protected by licensing as established by the
   government or 3rd party vendor responsible for
   developing the DTB.RTBs, which are precompiled
   components optimized for a specific platform or
   language, protect the behavioral modeling and are
   not open source. Other than Java Bean RTBs,
   Reverse engineering will not likely be an issue.
   RTBs could be freely provided.

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Impact Intent of BOMs

• Promote simulation interoperability through
  component reuse
• Capture and re-use design patterns
• Wrap intent-of-use, behavior, other meta-data
• Bring the benefits of Rapid Application
  Development (RAD) tools to HLA
• Components
• Drag drop interfaces
• Framework inheritance
• Integrated development environments

• Promote FEDEP automation
• meta-data matching
• incremental/iterative development
• Ease FOMorama collaboration
• Reduce construction time and effort
• Make Simulation interoperability easier
• DoD / Other government
• Commercial
• New Domains

• The design, development, and enhancement of
  simulation systems and interoperable environments
  should begin with the exploration of reusing
  available Base Object Model (BOM) components.

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More on SRML?

• Reference XML application for describing
  simulation models
• Goal is to enable simulations to be served,
  received, and processed over the
  internet/intranet
• Like HTML enables text to be served, received and
  processed.
• Defines a small number of elements and attributes
  for describing abstract structures, properties,
  and behaviors to support specific domains under
  simulation.
• Used in conjunction with domain specific schemas,
  which add structural rules and data types to
  elements and attributes.
• SRML was developed at Boeing and is in production
  on major projects
• Boeing wants to share SRML, and is evaluating
  interest, as a worldwide royalty-free standard

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DMSO Roll and Roadmap

• Establish legitimacy through formal definitions,
  developed standards and formalism
• Identify enabling technologies and standards
• Can be leveraged within a Collaborative
  Engineering Environment

Composability The capability to select and
assemble components in various combinations into
complete, validated simulation environments to
satisfy specific user requirements across a
variety of application domains, levels of
resolution, and time scales