1. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory 11100 Johns Hopkins Road Laurel, MD USA 20723-6099 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop Automated Tools for Gateway Selection and Configuration 12S-SIW-051 2012 Spring SIW March 26-29, 2011 Robert Lutz David Drake Ryan Brunton William Riggs The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory 11100 Johns Hopkins Road Laurel, MD robert.lutz@jhuapl.edu david.drake@jhuapl.edu ryan.brunton@jhuapl.edu william.riggs@jhuapl.edu Dannie Cutts The AEgis Technologies Group, Inc. Huntsville, AL 256.799.1154 dcutts@aegistg.com Kurt Lessmann Michael O’Connor Trideum Corporation Huntsville, AL 256.704.6116 klessmann@trideum.com moconnor@trideum.com

2. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop Gateways Background  Multi-architecture LVC environments are commonplace in support of DoD distributed test and training events  There are numerous difficult technical issues that must be addressed when integrating simulations across different simulation architectures Middleware incompatibilities Dissimilar development processes Dissimilar metamodels for runtime data exchange  Solutions to these issues can be extremely resource intensive to implement and inadequate testing can adversely affect the quality of the simulation results  There is a need to improve the quality and reduce the time and costs associated with the development of multi-architecture LVC environments Original motivation for the Live-Virtual-Constructive Architecture Roadmap (LVCAR) effort 2

3. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop Gateway Challenges  Despite the many documented success stories associated with the use of gateways to facilitate LVC interoperability, there are also some significant issues that impact technical, schedule, and cost risk No central “marketplace” of gateways o Few mechanisms for user to determine what reuse opportunities are available o No mechanisms for direct comparisons of gateways Gateways built for specific needs o Not built for reuse/not built for extensibility o Extensive duplication of existing gateway capabilities Process of developing mappings (i.e., translations) among simulation data elements is very time consuming and error-prone o Little reuse of mapping data or automated tool support available Process of gateway configuration is highly manual and varies from gateway to gateway o Potential barrier to migrating to better gateway products 3

4. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop Live-Virtual-Constructive Architecture Roadmap (LVCAR) Implementation 4 LVCAR Study LVCAR – Implementation Project (LVCAR-I) Gateways/Bridges Common Capabilities SOA Pilot Common Object Models We Are Here Implementation of LVCAR Study Recommendations The DoD Way Ahead for LVC Interoperability

5. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop LVCAR-I Gateways Effort – Initial Products  Gateways Characterization Report Identified capabilities offered by a wide range of different existing gateways Mapped user requirements to these capabilities to identify gaps  Gateway Configuration Model (GCM) Identifies an explicit set of gateway requirements, and discusses how the emerging gateway products and processes will address those requirements  Gateway Capability Description (GCD) Delineates the various capabilities that individual gateways can offer to user programs, along with specific levels of implementation for each unique capability  Gateway Performance Benchmarks (GPB) Identifies specific gateway performance measures, along with use cases that describe how and where these measures should be applied  Gateway Tutorial Discusses basic technical concepts and provides user guidance on acquiring gateways 5

6. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop LVCAR-I Gateways Effort – Current Products  Developed a common Gateway Description Language (GDL) A machine-readable format/syntax, for describing both user gateway requirements and the capabilities that individual gateways can offer Supports user discovery of needed gateway capabilities  Developed a common SDEM Mapping Language (SML) Formalized format and syntax for mappings between different SDEMs Reduces number of required mappings, and supports reuse of mapping data  Developed an initial repository for GDL-based gateway descriptions Incorporates applicable search and requirements-to-capabilities matching algorithms  Developed initial tools for GDL and SML file creation/editing  Developed a Common Components Tool (CCT) Captures gateway initialization data in a common underlying database format  Developed gateway implementation-specific plug-ins Converts CCT data into the form needed to configure the gateway for a particular application 6

7. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop Gateway Selection Process 7 GDL Editor Search 3. Search the GDL file repository and create a Best Matches list 1. Create files describing gateway products and capabilities using Gateway Description Language (GDL) Searchable files describing gateway products using Gateway Description Language (GDL) based on Gateway Capability Description 2. Create search criteria based on high priority capabilities, storing it in GDL format 5. Discuss with Community of Interest: Gateway Developers & Vendors, and other Gateway Users 6. Select gateway to deploy based on meeting exercise capabilities, configurability, licensing, and user feedback Selected Gateway Reevaluate ✓ GDL Editor 4. Best Matches from Search Gateway 1: Gateway 2: Gateway 3: etc.

8. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop GDL Editor – Gateway Description & Matching  Gateway Description Designed to efficiently create GDL files via a GUI-based procedural “wizard” The tool will step the user through a process to collect requirements via Gateway Capabilities Definition and Gateway Performance Benchmark information Generates a GDL file for repository archival  Gateway Matching This capability was designed to aid the gateway user in selecting the most appropriate gateway solution Creates or imports a user-defined gateway requirements via GDL file Imports developer-provided gateway capabilities GDL files from repository Generates a set of best gateway matches for user consideration and archival 8

9. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop GDL Editor User Interface – Capability Definition 9

10. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop GDL Editor User Interface – Capability Definition 10

11. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop GDL Editor User Interface – Requirements Matching 11

12. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop GDL Editor User Interface – Requirements Matching 12

13. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop Gateway Mapping and Configuration Process 13 Greatly enhances retention of simulation mappings and gateway configurations SDEM, mapping, and configuration reuse permits reduced gateway configuration cycle effort & time Gateway Searchable SML Local Library Searchable SML Remote Repository Library Simulation Architecture Simulation Component Simulation Architecture Simulation Component SDEM 1. Define/Reuse Mapping using SDEM Mapping Language (SML) Editor SML Editor 2. Create/modify Gateway Configuration using Common Components Tool (CCT) CCT with Gateway-Specific Plug-in Gateway Configuration written in Gateway-Specific Format Mapping Rules Filtering Rules All Files Stored Simulation Data Exchange Model (SDEM)-to-SDEM mapping written in SML SDEM

14. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop Simulation Data Exchange Model (SDEM) Mapping Language (SML) Editor  Designed to efficiently create SML files via a GUI-based procedural “wizard” The tool will step the user through a process to create a mapping file between two SDEMs o Imports the needed SDEMs o Exports the SML compliant with SML schema  The tool will generate an SML file compliant with the SML schema If desired, upload the file to a repository for archival and reuse 14

15. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop SML Editor – Defining the Mapping Between SDEMs 15

16. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop Common Components Tool (CCT)  Designed to aid the gateway developer to extend gateways to new Architecture/SDEMs Imports SDEMs in their native format (OMT, TDL, ANDEM, …) Imports SDEM mapping file in SML format Imports gateway configuration data in GCL format Generates a database with mapping information Provides a plug-in architecture to support specific gateway implementations  Allows the gateway developer to: Access mapping data without having to import multiple file formats Create a gateway-specific CCT plug-in to generate required inputs for their gateway o Can be code, file, or a combination of both Quickly extend their gateway to support new user mapping requirements 16

17. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop Common Components Tool – Architecture 17 CCT Core CCT Gateway Specific Writer Plug-in SML Loader GCL Loader ANDEM Loader Gateway Developer API ASF Loader API CCT Database ASF Loader Plug-in CCT Loaders Architecture Specific Format ( i.e. OMT, TDL) Loaders Gateway Specific Writers

18. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop Employing Stored SML in the CCT to Generate a Gateway 18 Common Components Tool CCT User Interface SML Data SML Database Configura- tion Files Gateway -Specific CCT Plug-in Federation/Exer cise Distributed Sim API Generated/C onfigured Gateway SML Data Executable Distributed Simulation: Software Source

19. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop CCT Demonstrated: Gateway Builder Employed for creating MATREX to TENA- Platform Exercise 19 Common Components Tool CCT User Interface SML Data SML Database Gateway Builder CCT Plug-in MATREX Federation TENA-Platform Exercise MATREX Federate Generated and Configured Gateway SML Data Example Distributed Simulation: MS Visual Studio Compilation Gateway Builder Source Files Microsoft Visual Studio Project Viewer TENA/CORBA API

20. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop LVCAR Gateways Effort – Next Steps  Improve the usability of the GDL and SML Editors Interface enhancements, better documentation  Develop a common implementation-independent Gateway Configuration Language (GCL), in a machine-readable format/syntax, for describing gateway configuration data Includes both specification and editing tool  Implement needed extensions to the CCT and gateway plug-ins Other architectures/SDEMs, and potentially entirely new gateway plug-ins  Develop new tools/methodologies for gateway benchmarking  Develop more advanced, hands-on “Gateways 201” tutorial  Community outreach Special Gateways Event at Fall 2012 SIW, and potentially others 20

21. 2011 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop Questions and Feedback 21 Primary Contact: Robert Lutz robert.lutz@jhuapl.edu David Drake Ryan Brunton William Riggs The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory 11100 Johns Hopkins Road Laurel, MD david.drake@jhuapl.edu ryan.brunton@jhuapl.edu william.riggs@jhuapl.edu Dannie Cutts The AEgis Technologies Group, Inc. Huntsville, AL 256.799.1154 dcutts@aegistg.com Kurt Lessmann Michael O’Connor Trideum Corporation Huntsville, AL 256.704.6116 klessmann@trideum.com moconnor@trideum.com