OVERVIEW

Recall that Arena is an object-oriented modeling tool with a graphical user interface (GUI), through which modeler and machine interact. More specifically, modeler (foreground) actions via the GUI prompt Arena to respond with (background) actions. For all practical purposes, each interaction is a pair of foreground/background actions, which can be thought of as taking place in lockstep in the sense that the previous pair must complete before the next pair begins processing.

A modeling and simulation tool ought to provide adequate facilities for model testing and debugging in order to help the modeler ensure that the simulation model under construction is free of syntactic and logical errors. Such modeling activities may be viewed as part of model verification (see Step 4 of Section 1.5), namely, checking that the simulation code correctly represents the conceptual model. Recall that only once the model is verified does the modeler proceed with model validation (see Step 5 of Section 1.5), namely, checking that the conceptual model (now properly represented by the simulation code) adequately captures reality.

Arena provides a rich set of facilities to support model testing and debugging throughout the life cycle of a simulation model. These facilities allow the user to access Arena objects, code, and data that underlie the model image on the screen (see Figure 5.1), such as model parameters and SIMAN code (blocks). It further allows the modeler to inspect model runs, either in visual animation mode or in textual command mode. This chapter reviews the Arena testing...