PDES: A case study using the switch time warp

Abstract

The present work outlines the results of a technique for improving Parallel Discrete Event Simulation (PDES) using optimistic protocols on a real physical system. This technique, designated Switch Time Warp (STW) is developed on PVM and is based on the research carried out by the authors at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. The STW is used to limit excessive optimism in the Time Warp method, and has a negative effect on optimistic PDES. The idea of the STW consists of dynamically adapting the simulation speeds of different application processes. This change is accomplished through the priority’s agent of the operating system and is based on decisions taken by the heuristic control of the STW.