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SIMPROCESS
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Built-In Interface for Defining Experiments
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There are two options for defining experiments.
The first option defines experiments within SIMPROCESS and the second option defines experiments in the SIMPROCESS database. An experiment can have multiple models, a model can have multiple designs, a design can have multiple scenarios and a scenario can (optionally) have multiple Model Parameters and Process Alternatives.
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SIMPROCESS Models run without the SIMPROCESS Graphical User Interface (GUI)
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There are two executables in the SIMPROCESS directory:
SIMPROCESS and SPRunSimulation (any extensions are platform specific). To run a model with SPRunSimulation, either execute commands from a command prompt or create a batch file or a shell script. The command must include SPRunSimulation and the complete path to the model that is to be run, as shown in this example for Windows.
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Tabbed Format for Activity, Entity, and Resource Dialogs Boxes
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Icon Manager
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The SIMPROCESS Icon Manager allows you to manage user-imported images that will be available for use as icons in your models.
Category:
Each icon is assigned to one of two categories. Those in the Entity category are available for use in Entity Properties dialogs. Those in the Activity/Process category can be used when setting the properties of any Activity or Process. The default setting for imported icons is Activity/Process.
Icon Set:
Each icon is assigned to an Icon Set. The name of the Icon Set to which each icon is assigned will appear here. Newly imported icons default to "Imported".
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Statements Added to the Expression Language
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GetActivityStatistic
GetActivityByEntityStatistic
GetResourceStatistic
GetResourceByActivityStatistic
GetCostStatistic
GetTotalCostStatistic
GetEntityStatistic
GetTimeStampStatistic
GetAttributeStatistic
ActivateGenerate
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Easily Integrate With Your Technical Solutions...
The redesign lays the foundation for SIMPROCESS to easily integrate with technical solutions for enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise application integration (EAI), and sustaining legacy systems. SIMPROCESS offers increased performance power that enables faster, more thorough simulations reducing the risk and saving time and money on development.
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CACI PRESS RELEASE
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Features & Benefits in SIMPROCESS 3.1...
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Process Models Published to Web
For Wide Area Review and Collaboration
Creates web-ready files of your models, including graphical versions of all layouts; properties of all Processes, Activities, Global Attributes, Resources, and Entities; navigation support via the graphical layout or a tree-like list to allow access to inactive sub-processes; and inclusion of Standard Reports and Real-Time Plots if the model was simulated prior to publishing.
Example 1 - US Air Force Combat Ammunition System Base
Example 2 - Total Force Manpower Management System (TFMMS)
External/Remote Capability
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Remote Plot capability allows plots to be displayed via a separate Plot Server on any connected network
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ExternalCall statement added to the Expression language. Allows simulations to call methods of external Java classes
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RemoteCall statement added to the Expression language. Allows simulations to call external applications using Java's RMI facilities
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External Schedule added to Generate activities. Allows an application outside of SIMPROCESS to drive the generation of Entities
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Enhanced Resource Downtime Options
Export to UML activity diagrams
Outputs the model to a UML compatible XML file. This file is created in the model's directory. The name of the file is the model name with an .xml extension.
In order for this feature to work, be sure you have the latest patch from Rational Rose available here:
www.rational.com/support/downloadcenter/addins/rose/index.jsp
Title in Table: Download XMI Add-in (updated 18-JUL-02 6.24 MB)
File Name: UnisysRoseXMLTools1.3.4.zip
To learn more about how SIMPROCESS compliments UML tools click here
Powerful Entity Instance Expressions
Advanced Downtime Reference Model
FireTrigger expression statement
FireTrigger statement added to Expression language. Causes the firing of a trigger for a Gate or Assemble activity from expressions. No entity is required to enter the trigger pad.
Import Utility Improved
Importing of models from 2.2.1 or 2.2.2 has had several fixes and improvements:
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Properly handles conversion of models with grouped items that contain other grouped items
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Uses a "square" coordinate system when converting layout coordinates so that the graphical outcome is improved
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A new SIMPROCESS 2.2.3 has been developed specifically to serve as an Import Utility, adding some data that will improve the import results
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Updates to the Import Procedures PDF file included with the installer detail the use of this new utility version and its benefits
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New Features & Benefits in SIMPROCESS 3.0...
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Major Developments
Architecture redesigned using Java™ and XML technologies
Performance increase - reduced time to run models
Model files in XML format for extensibility
Interface with any SQL database
Support for Microsoft Access 97 and 2000 databases
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Modeling Flexibility
Time scale to nanoseconds allows modeling of systems
Preemption of lower priority tasks or entities
Improved template features with library manager
Expanded queuing options for most activities
Attributes able to assign one-dimensional arrays
All previous constant values can now be distributions
Multiple models open to cut and paste between models
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Reporting and Viewing Enhancements
Real time plots now customizable with multiple axis and data sets
Activity browser now icon based showing resources, expressions, and activities
Printed model displays hierarchy at the top of page
Animation speed interface redesigned
All system fonts, color palette and new images now available
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Architecture redesigned using Java™ and XML technologies
Why Java?
One of the major points is that Java is object-oriented and gives SIMPROCESS all the power needed for future developments.
Click here to learn more about the benefits of Java
Why XML?
Because XML is the leading technology for data manipulation and transmission allowing users to structure, store and send information with ease.
What is XML?
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XML stands for EXtensible Markup Language |
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XML is a markup language much like HTML |
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XML was designed to describe data |
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XML with a DTD is designed to be self-descriptive |
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XML does not DO anything |
Click here to learn more about the benefits of XML.
Model files in XML format for extensibility
Version 3.0 model files are XML files so that any XML parser can read them.
Example Code
Interface with any SQL database
Using Expressions you can retrieve information from an SQL database, and you can modify an SQL database by inserting into tables, deleting from tables, and updating tables. Knowledge of SQL is required since all queries to the database are SQL queries.
Database System Methods
There are six database related System Methods which can be used in Expression.
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OpenDatabase |
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CloseDatabase |
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ReadFromDatabase |
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WriteToDatabase |
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GetNext |
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GetResult |
Support for Microsoft Access 97 and 2000
SIMPROCESS allows you to store your simulation results in a database. This database is designed to hold SIMPROCESS output and comes with predefined queries, graphs, and reports. The queries, graphs, and reports can be copied or modified to customize your analysis.
Access 2000 Example
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Time scale now ranges from nanoseconds to years
Time Scale Example
Allowing the model of hardware architectures and the business functions they support
Network Entities Graph Example
Preemption of lower priority tasks or entities
Higher priority entities can preempt the processing of lower priority entities when contending for Resources. When an entity instance that is set to preempt arrives at an activity that requires resources for which none are available, it checks the wait queue and the entities that are currently processing
For more details view the model: Preempt.spm
Improved template features with library manager
The SIMPROCESS Template and Library facilities support the reuse and organization of the various constructs used in building models. We encourage you to develop your own objects and organize them into libraries.
With a large set of libraries of reusable model building blocks, you are able to build new models faster. For example, you may develop a set of Processes (Warehouse, Manufacture, Transport) and Resources (Trucks, People, etc.) relevant to the Distribution domain, save them to a library named Distribution and use them to quickly build distribution models. Here is a summary of benefits:
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OpenDatabase |
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Are repositories for model building constructs you manipulate or create |
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Allow customizing of model elements through parameter settings |
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Facilitate reuse of Processes, Activities and Resources |
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Allow placement of Processes and Activities on the User Palette bar and the Create pull-down menu |
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Allow the grouping of Processes and Activities in user defined templates |
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Facilitate importing and exporting of customized model elements for use in other models or by colleagues |
Expanded queuing options for most activities - Rank Method
Sets the rank method of the queue for the entities to be assembled. There is a separate queue for each component entity type. The rank method is the same for all queues. The default is First In First Out. The rank methods are:
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First In First Out |
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First In Last Out |
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Earliest Created First |
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Latest Created First |
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Highest Priority Value First |
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Lowest Priority Value First |
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Highest Attribute Value First |
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Lowest Attribute Value First |
Rank Method Example
All previous constant values can now be distributions
Distribution Example
Multiple models open to cut and paste between models
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Real time plots now customizable with more options including multiple axis and data sets
Custom Plots allow the plotting of multiple values on the same plot. The Custom Plot Properties dialog allows you to specify various characteristics for Custom Plots in your model. The left side of the dialog contains properties that can be set for any plot. See Real-Time Plot Properties for descriptions.
Real-Time Plot Properties Example
Graph Name: The text entered here will be used as the plot title
X-Axis Label: The text to be used for the X-Axis legend
Y-Axis Label: The text to be used for the Y-Axis legend
Simulation Time Units: For some plots, this will allow you to specify the units of measure for the X-axis. Values may be selected from Nanoseconds, Microseconds, Milliseconds, Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months or Years.
Value Time Units: For some plots, this will allow you to specify the units of measure for the Y-axis. Values may be selected from Nanoseconds, Microseconds, Milliseconds, Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months or Years.
Axis Example
Sample graph from help desk model:
RealTimePlotColoredCalls
Real-Time Plot Colored Calls Example
Activity browser now icon based showing resources, expression, etc.
The Activity Browser allows you to navigate more quickly through your model. This feature is especially useful in larger models with multiple levels of hierarchy.
The Activity Browser dialog box contains a hierarchical, "tree" listing of the activities, processes and sub-processes defined in the current model. Processes and their Alternative Sub-Processes may have a plus (+) or minus (-) to there left. They will also display a small icon. If a Process represented by this icon also contains one or more Expression scripts, it will also have the icon. You can double-click the icon or simply click the +/- symbol to expand or contract the sub tree. Activities will have icons to the right of their names, and will additionally have the icon if the Activity uses any Expression scripts and the icon if the Activity uses any Resources.
Activity Browser Icon Based Example
Printing of models showing hierarchy at the top of the page
Print or Create a PDF of your model
This command prints all layouts of the current model to the system printer or to Adobe Acrobat.
Print Example
Animation Speed and "on the fly" slider:
You can change the Animation Speed to speed up or slow down the simulation. The fastest value is 100, slowest is 1, and the default is 20. You may wish to set this to a smaller value while you are debugging your model.
All system fonts and full color palette now available:
Full Color Example
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New Demo Models
Human Resources Model
(model name: Human Resources.spm)
This model simulates an As-Is and To-Be scenario at the same time. The top flow is the As-Is, and the bottom flow is the To-Be. The two scenarios are kept independent by using two different flow paths along with different entity types and resources for each flow. Dynamic labels and color changes are used to track simulation progress and compare the two scenarios.
Inventory
(model name: Inventory.spm)
This sample model demonstrates an Inventory Pull and Manufacturing system. The process is characterized by the Reorder Points and Reorder Quantities defined for each resource in the supply chain. There are four steps in the supply chain: Warehouse, Assembly, Component1 Vendor and Component2 Vendor, and the Raw Material Vendor. Inventory is pulled only when it is needed (there is insufficient stock to fill the order or the Reorder Point has been reached).
Inventory Model Example
Justice System
(model name: Justice System.spm)
This model simulates the workload of a city court system. Inputs come from the police department, city attorney's office, and various other locations. Note that in this model there are several processes that are empty. This is because several parts of the actual business process modeled needed to be shown in the model, but did not need to be simulated.
Justice System Model Example
Network
(model name: Network.spm)
This sample model simulates the communication between two servers. Note the Simulation Time Unit in Simulate/Run Settings is set to Seconds instead of Hours (which is the default). This is done to preclude rounding errors since this model uses some of the smaller time units.
Network Model Example
Custom Plot Reference Model
(model name: Customer Service.spm)
This model is an example of how to use custom plots. Four different types of entities are generated: Hardware Sales Call, Software Sales Call, Hardware Service Call, and Software Service Call. The calls are process based on call type (in Process Calls), and then the sales calls create an order and ship the product (in Complete Calls). Three custom plots have been defined for this model.
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Call Time In System - plots the time in system for each of the call types |
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Sales Calls In System - plots the number of Hardware Sales Call and Software Sales Call entities in the system |
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Service Calls In System - plots the number of Hardware Service Call and Software Service Call entities in system |
Custom Plot Reference Model Example
Preempt
(model name: Preempt.spm)
This model is an example of how higher priority entities can preempt the processing of lower priority entities. Two types of entities are generated, Routine Message and Urgent Message. The transmission of the messages is modeled by a Delay activity, which uses the Transmitter resource. The Urgent Message entity has a higher Priority (priority 2) than the Routine Message entity (priority 1). Also the Preempt Lower Priority Entities option is selected.
New Versions
SIMPROCESS has three versions:
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Professional |
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University |
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SIMPROCESS Professional includes an intuitive "drag & drop" modeling interface and advanced functions such as User-defined Attributes (for attaching tags to entities, activities or resources in your model), System Attributes, User-defined Expressions (for modeling or customizing the performance measures), Reusable Templates (modeling templates that can be stored in a library and used over and over), Custom Downtimes. This edition has license protection.
SIMPROCESS Run-Time runs any size model, but limits you from saving changes to existing or new models. This edition has license protection and free keys are available form our website.
SIMPROCESS University includes all Professional features, will run any size model, but limits you from saving or building models greater than 50 nodes.
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