A Discrete-Event Simulation Framework for the Validation of Agent-based and Multi-Agent Systems

Simulation of agent-based systems is an inherent requirement of the development process which provides developers with a powerful means to validate both agents' dynamic behavior and the agent system as a whole and investigate the implications of alternative architectures and coordination strategies. In this paper, we present a discrete-event simulation framework which supports the validation activity of agent-based and multiagent systems which are modeled and programmed as a set of event-driven agents by means of the Distilled StateCharts formalism and related programming tools. The simulation framework is equipped with a discrete-event simulation engine which provides support for the execution of agents by interleaving their events processing, the exchange of events among agents, the migration of agents, and the clustering of agents into agent servers interconnected by a logical network. Using this framework, an agent-based complex system can be easily validated and evaluated by defining a simulator program along with suitable test cases and performance measurements.