From domain ontologies to modeling ontologies to executable simulation models (original) (raw)

Ontology–based Representation of Simulation Models

Ontologies have been used in a variety of domains for multiple purposes such as establishing common terminology, organizing domain knowledge and describing domain in a machine-readable form. Moreover, ontologies are the foundation of the Semantic Web and often semantic integration is achieved using ontology. Even though simulation demonstrates a number of similar characteristics to Semantic Web or semantic integration, including heterogeneity in the simulation domain, representation and semantics, the application of ontology in the simulation domain is still in its infancy. This paper proposes an ontology-based representation of simulation models. The goal of this research is to facilitate comparison among simulation models, querying, making inferences and reuse of existing simulation models. Specifically, such models represented in the domain simulation engine environment serve as an information source for their representation as instances of an ontology. Therefore, the ontology-based representation is created from existing simulation models in their proprietary file formats, consequently eliminating the need to perform the simulation modeling directly in the ontology. The proposed approach is evaluated on a case study involving the I2Sim interdependency simulator.

Ontologies for Modeling and Simulation: Issues and Approaches

2004

Ontologies represent the next important phase of the World Wide Web, creating a semantic web which links together disparate pieces of information and knowledge. Creating ontologies within computer simulation can be seen as a logical next phase of the web-based modeling and simulation thrust, where the emphasis is on knowledge and its representation rather than on run-time network characteristics. We introduce the concept of an ontology and then survey two groups performing research in this area at the Universities of Florida and Georgia, respectively.

Ontology and automatic code generation on modeling and simulation

2016

— In this paper we present a new approach for using semantic web technologies in modeling and simulation. In recent years ontologies have been used popularly in many fields to represent and structure their concepts. This work is an attempt to create a specific ontology for the process oriented discrete event simulation domain. The ontology instances represent the model instances. This instance described in XML format and then transformed to another form that is used to generate the simulation code via XSLT rules. The code is generated according to the open source library Japrosim. The objective of this work is to enhance interoperability and automation of the transition from the ontology to the code execution. Keywords-component; Ontology, Semantic Web, modeling and simulation, code generation, interoperability.

Ontology for modeling and simulation

Simulation Conference (WSC), …, 2010

This paper establishes what makes an ontology different in Modeling and Simulation (M&S) from other disciplines, vis-a-vis, the necessity to capture a conceptual model of a system in an explicit, unambiguous, and machine readable form. Unlike other disciplines where ontologies are used, such as Information Systems and Medicine, ontologies in M&S do not depart from a set of requirements but from a research question which is contingent on a modeler. Thus, the semiotic triangle is used to present that different implemented ontologies are representations of different conceptual models whose commonality depends on which research question is being asked. Ontologies can be applied to better capture the modeler ¶V perspective. The elicitation of ontological, epistemological, and teleological considerations is suggested. These considerations may lead to better differentiation between conceptualizations, which for a computer are of importance for use, reuse and composability of models and interoperability of simulations. 1 643 978-1-4244-9864-2/10/$26.00 ©2010 IEEE

Using ontologies for simulation integration

2007 Winter Simulation Conference, 2007

This paper describes the motivations, methods, and solution concepts for the use of ontologies for simulation model integration. Ontological analysis has been shown to be an effective initial step in the construction of intelligent systems.

Service-oriented simulation using web ontology

International Journal of Simulation and Process Modelling, 2012

COTS simulation packages (CSPs) have proved popular in a wider industrial setting. Reuse of simulation component models by collaborating organisations or divisions is restricted however by the same semantic issues that restrict the inter-organisation use of other software services. Semantic models, in the form of ontology, utilized by a web service based discovery and deployment architecture provides one approach to support simulation model reuse. Semantic interoperation is achieved using domain grounded simulation component ontology to identify reusable components and subsequently loaded into a CSP, modified according to the requirements of the new model, and locally or remotely executed. The work is based on a health service simulation that addresses the transportation of blood. The ontology engineering framework and discovery architecture provide a novel approach to inter-organisation simulation, uncovering domain semantics and providing a less intrusive mechanism for component reuse. The resulting web of component models and simulation execution environments present a nascent approach to simulation grids.

Ontologies for modeling and simulation: An initial framework

2007

Many fields have or are developing ontologies for their subdomains. The Gene Ontology (GO) is now considered to be a great success in biology, a field that has already developed several extensive ontologies. Similar advantages could accrue to the Modeling and Simulation community. Ontologies provide a way to establish common vocabularies and capture domain knowledge for organizing the domain with a community-wide agreement.

Ontology Engineering for Simulation Component Reuse

2008

Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) Simulation Packages (CSP) are widely used in industry primarily due to economic factors associated with developing proprietary software platforms. Regardless of their widespread use, CSPs have yet to operate across organizational boundaries. The limited reuse of CSPs is affected by the same semantic issues that restrict the inter-organizational use of software components and Web services. The current representations of Web components are predominantly syntactic in nature lacking the fundamental semantic underpinning required to support discovery on the emerging Semantic Web. We present new research that partially alleviates the problem of limited semantic interoperability and reuse of simulation components in CSPs. Semantic models, in the form of ontologies, utilized by Web service discovery and deployment architecture provide one approach to support simulation model reuse. Although specific to CSPs this work has wider implications for the simulation community.

Ontology and automatic code generation on modeling

2014

In this paper we present a new approach for using semantic web technologies in modeling and simulation. In recent years ontologies have been used popularly in many fields to represent and structure their concepts. This work is an attempt to create a specific ontology for the process oriented discrete event simulation domain. The ontology instances represent the model instances. This instance described in XML format and then transformed to another form that is used to generate the simulation code via XSLT rules. The code is generated according to the open source library Japrosim. The objective of this work is to enhance interoperability and automation of the transition from the ontology to the code execution.