Basic Tenets
DARPA sponsored the design of a general interface between large, existing, aggregate-level combat simulations. Aggregate-level combat simulations use Lanchestrian models of combat rather than individual physical weapon models and are typically used for high-level training. Despite representational differences, several principles of SIMNET applied to aggregate-level simulations:
- Dynamic configurability. Simulations may join and depart an exercise without restriction.
- Geographic distribution. Simulations can reside in different geographic locations yet exercise over the same logical terrain.
- Autonomous entities. Each simulation controls its own resources, fires its own weapons and, when one of its objects is hit, conducts damage assessment locally.
- Communication by message passing. A simulation uses a message-passing protocol distribute information to all other simulations.
The ALSP challenge had requirements beyond those of SIMNET:
- Simulation time management. Typically, simulation time is independent of wall-clock time. For the results of a distributed simulation to be "correct," time must be consistent across all simulations.
- Data management. The schemes for internal state representation differ among existing simulations, necessitating a common representational system and concomitant mapping and control mechanisms.
- Architecture independence. Architectural characteristics (implementation language, user interface, and time flow mechanism) of existing simulations differed. The architecture implied by ALSP must be unobtrusive to existing architectures.
Read more about this topic: Aggregate Level Simulation Protocol
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