On the integration of HLA and FMI for supporting interoperability and reusability in distributed simulation

Many research efforts are focusing on the definition of methods, models and techniques to support the reuse and interoperability of simulation models and their execution on distributed computing environments. In this context, great benefits could derive from the joint exploitation of two popular standards: FMI (Functional Mock-up Interface) and HLA (High Level Architecture). The paper investigates how to combine HLA and FMI from two different perspectives: (i) HLA for FMI and (ii) FMI for HLA. With reference to the HLA for FMI perspective, some possible extensions to FMI to include HLA features are proposed. With respect to the FMI for HLA perspective, two concrete approaches, based on well-known design patterns, for integrating and (re)using FMUs (Functional Mock-up Unit) in HLA-based simulations are proposed. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution, a case study concerning a Moon base simulated scenario is also presented.