Arena modeling

Conceptual model can be converted into Arena model.

Arena model: connected building blocks.

Building blocks must be parameterized.

Arena interface demo

 Basic blocks
Create / Process /
Dispose
building blocks. Create Process Dispose

arriveA getonboardA getoffboardB leaveB

wtA crAB atB

10 free place
arriveA getonboardA getoffB leaveB

wtA crBA atB

leaveA getoffboardA getonboardB arriveB

arriveB getonboardB getoffA leaveA
 Adding resources
arriveA getonboardA getoffboardB leaveB

wtA crAB atB

10 free place

wtA crBA atB

arriveA getonboardA getoffB leaveB

leaveA getoffboardA getonboardB arriveB

arriveB getonboardB getoffA leaveA

 Splitting transitions
Seize two resources, release one when finished.
arriveA getonboardA getoffboardB leaveB
wtA crAB atB

A2B

free
atA 10 atB
place

B2A
Not directly possible in Arena:
Seize Delay: seize
wtA
and keep crBA
all atB
leaveA getoffboardA
Seize Delay Release: seizegetonboardB
and returnarriveB
all.

Implementation: split!
Ferry implementation (ARENA)
arriveA getonboardA getoffboardB leaveB
wtA crAB atB

A2B

free
atA 10 atB
place

B2A

wtA crBA atB

leaveA getoffboardA getonboardB arriveB

Split marked transitions.

Add "case" class for A2B and B2A.

Create once, do not dispose.
Resources cannot be added.
 Parameterization
Arena building blocks are parameterized.
Default parameters are set when installing blocks.
Resource consumption/production parameters
inferred from conceptual model.
Parameters to be added:
- arrival distribution for create blocks
(often negexp with a certain intensity),
- duration for process blocks
(sometimes 0 for blocks that result from splitting.
 Testing
After model construction, animated simulation is done.
Press button and observe.
Correct syntax errors.
Unexpected results: adapt or explain.
If found correct, choose Run Setup,
then Replication parameters tab.
Select a moderate replication length and
then press , wait until completion
and examine the report.

Standard report: queue lengths for resources,

processing times for entities.
 Decide block
resource

create queue ok? decide_y ok! dispose

Alternative paths:
process

decide_n
 Assign block
Assignment:
- attributes (per entity) create x>=3 dispose

- variables (global) x x x x x x

"ordinary" programming x=1 x

x+1 x<3
 Other blocks
In some cases, the simulation should report on special data
(e.g. expressions involving attributes and variables).
This can be achieved by including the Report block.

Separate block is used for duplication of entities.

Batch block is used for grouping entities.

For other Arena blocks, see the Arena book

W.D. Kelton, R.P. Sadowski, and D. Sturrock.
Simulation with Arena, 3rd ed.
McGraw-Hill, New York, 2004.
 Classwork
A factory fabricates two types of products, X and Y
and has (multiple) machines of types A,B and C respectively.
Orders for product X have to pass through A and then C.
Orders for Y have to pass through B and then C.
The machine types A and B are different configurations
of the same machine. It is possible to reconfigure a machine
from type A into type B and vice versa.
If no cases are waiting for resource A and the queue length
for cases waiting for resource B exceeds N,
a machine of type A is reconfigured to type B.
If no cases are waiting for resource B and the queue length
for cases waiting for resource A exceeds M,
a machine of type B is reconfigured to type A.
Give conceptual model and Arena implementation.
 Parameters
interarrival times X,Y : 1.0, resp. 0.85 minutes.
machines A, B and C available: 2, 2, 4 (initially).
Processing duration: 1.6 minutes per A/B step
and 1.8 minutes for any C step.
Reconfiguration: 4 minutes (both A2B and B2A).
Find most effective N, M .