Welcome

Welcome to the React.NET Discrete Event Simulation Framework. React.NET is a open source library for programmatically developing discrete event simulations implemented on top of the Microsoft® .NET Framework.

Site Map

Quick Start

Provides an overview of the discrete event simulation concepts and classes as they are implemented by React.NET. It also includes a step-by-step tutorial on building a simple simulation.

Examples

Provides a number of example simulations with detailed descriptions.

How-Tos

Provides code samples for accomplishing a variety of simulation tasks using React.NET.

Documentation

Provides access to the React.NET programming guide and API reference.

What Is It?

React.NET is a library for programmatically constructing discrete event simulations. The library contains classes for many of the most common simulation objects, including:

• Processes.
• Various non-uniform random number generators.
• Blocking objects such as:
  • Resources
  • Conditions
  • Bounded buffers
  • Consumables
• Classes for gathering run-time simulation data.
  • Monitors
  • Recorders
• Classes for collecting/computing statistics.

To create a React.NET simulation, you create a runnable .NET program. This means that React.NET is not a graphically-based system for building simulations.

Features

The following are some of the attributes and features of the React.NET Discrete Event Simulation Framework.

• Written entirely in the C# programming language.
• Makes entensive use of features in .NET v2.0 including:
  • Generics
  • Iterators
• Avoids Microsoft-specific (e.g. Win32 classes) in hopes to eventually run on the Mono framework.
• Powerful and flexible simulation API.
• Simple simulations can be created using only a few of the React.NET classes. There's no need to learn a large API just as you're getting started.
• Intuitive, process-based simulation methodology.
• Includes nine (9) common non-uniform random number generators (distributions). This list will continue to grow.
• A Simulation class provides all context for a single simulation run. Multiple simulations can be executed in parallel in separate threads.
• Provides an easy-to-use means for monitoring property changes during a simulation run and aggregating this data into meaningful statistics.

Requirements

To build the React.NET library or a simulation that uses React.NET requires:

• The Microsoft® .NET Framework SDK v2.0 or higher.
• A means to edit textual source files.
• Familiarity with discrete event simulation concepts.
• Familiarity with programming in C# and the .NET Framework.

To run a simulation built with the React.NET library requires only the Microsoft .NET 2.0 runtime.

License

React.NET is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), a copy of which is available at http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html.

Links

The following sites provide some good, introductory material on discrete event simulation.

• CS333 Lab A-3: Distributed Discrete Event Simulation
• Introduction to Discrete Event Simulation
• Inside Discrete Event Simulation Software
• What is Simulation? - Discrete Event Simulation
• Queuing Models and Discrete Event Simulation

The paper, Deadlock Detection and Resolution for Discrete Event Simulation: Multiple-Unit Seizes provides some good information about simulations that have tasks that perform multiple resource acquisitions (seizes).

If you're looking for a Python-based discrete simulation framework, you may want to check out the SimPy project.