A process based on the Model-Driven Architecture to enable the definition of Platform-Independent simulation Models

Agent-Based Modeling and Simulation (ABMS) offers many advantages for dealing with and understanding a great variety of complex systems and phenomena in several application domains (e.g. financial, economic, social, logistics, chemical, engineering) allowing to overcome the limitations of the classical and analytical modelling techniques. However, the definition of agent-oriented models and the use of the existing agent-based simulation platforms often require advanced modelling and programming skills, thus hindering a wider adoption of the ABMS mainly in those domains that would benefit more from it. To promote and ease the exploitation of ABMS, especially among domain experts, the paper proposes the jointly exploitation of both Platform-Independent Metamodels and Model-Driven approaches by defining a Model-Driven process (MDA4ABMS) which conforms to the OMG Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) and enables the definition of Platform-Independent simulation Models from which Platform-Dependent simulation Models and the related code can be automatically obtained with significant reduction of programming and implementation efforts.