Distributed Simulation of RePast Models over HLA/Actors

Abstract

This paper reports about a research project-HLA ACTOR REPAST- aimed to distributing RePast modelsthus potentially corresponding to the computational demandsof large and reconfigurable multi-agent systems (MASs). Novelin HLA ACTOR REPAST is an exploitation of a lean actorinfrastructure implemented in Java. Actors bring to RePastagents such features as migration, location-transparent naming,efficient communications, and a control-centric framework.Actors can be orchestrated by an in-the-large custom controlstructure which can ensure the necessary message causalityconstraints. Distribution and time management concerns dependon the IEEE standard HLA middleware. The paper first discussesdetails of the software engineering process underlyingHLA ACTOR REPAST. The mapping techniques, based on Javatext annotations and aspect oriented programming, minimize“code intrusions” in the original model. Then the paper describessome experiments and performance results of applyingHLA ACTOR REPAST to a distributed version of a RePastTileworld model.