Parallel and Distributed Simulation Systems

A state-of-the-art guide for the implementation of distributed simulation technology.

The rapid expansion of the Internet and commodity parallel computers has made parallel and distributed simulation (PADS) a hot technology indeed. Applications abound not only in the analysis of complex systems such as transportation or the next-generation Internet, but also in computer-generated virtual worlds for military and professional training, interactive computer games, and the entertainment industry.

In this book, PADS expert Richard M. Fujimoto provides software developers with cutting-edge techniques for speeding up the execution of simulations across multiple processors and dealing with data distribution over wide area networks ,including the Internet. With an emphasis on parallel and distributed discrete event simulation technologies, Dr. Fujimoto compiles and consolidates research results in the field spanning the last twenty years, discussing the use of parallel and distributed computers in both the modeling and analysis of system behavior and the creation of distributed virtual environments.

While other books on PADS concentrate on applications, Parallel and Distributed Simulation Systems clearly shows how to implement the technology. It explains in detail the synchronization algorithms needed to properly realize the simulations, including an in-depth discussion of time warp and advanced optimistic techniques. Finally, the book is richly supplemented with references, tables and illustrations, and examples of contemporary systems such as the Department of Defense's High Level Architecture (HLA), which has become the standard architecture for defense programs in the United States.

RICHARD M. FUJIMOTO, PhD, is Professor of Computer Science at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Widely recognized for his contributions to the development of PADS, Dr. Fujimoto led the working group responsible for defining time management services for the U.S. Department of Defense High Level Architecture (HLA) effort.