Configuring and running simulation

Progress Developer Studio for OpenEdge provides the Simulation project (see Creating a simulation project), which you can use to configure and run simulation for multiple processes. The Simulation project is implemented using a new simulation engine and is detached from the process workflow. You can perform simulation activities like defining and configuring scenarios, execution, and generating reports and analysis, using the simulation perspective in Progress Developer Studio for OpenEdge.

Progress Developer Studio for OpenEdge provides two perspectives namely, Progress OpenEdge BPM Simulation perspective (for configuring simulation parameters) and the OpenEdge BPM Run Simulation perspective (for monitoring the simulation run, and then generating simulation reports).

Faster Testing for Design Flaws: Allows you to quickly uncover potential problems in a process design. Instead of using a testing environment that requires two servers—one for production and one for testing—to create and test instances of the process, you can run a process in the Simulation perspectives as many times as required.

Estimated Cost of Resources: Enables you to estimate the cost of the process, or the number of resources that the process will consume. You can define consumable (or single usage) resources (such as, equipment, electricity, and paper) and non-consumable (or reusable) resources (such as, computer and printer) at the process level to calculate the total estimated cost of the process.

Utilization of Business Calendar: Allows you to set performer availability as defined in the organization-level business calendar. For details regarding business calendar, see Workingwith Business Calendar.

Identification of Bottlenecks: Assigns worksteps to performing resources; for example, users or user groups for Activity worksteps. The simulation engine locks a performing resource during the execution of the workstep and releases it when the workstep is completed. Bottlenecks occur when another workstep needs the same performing resource, and must wait for the performing resource to be released from the previous workstep. Until then, the task for the next workstep is placed in a waiting queue. The simulation engine keeps track of the number and status of instances in the waiting queues and indicates when a bottleneck occurs, that is, when a workstep has to wait for a performing resource to be released.

Randomization: Supports two types of randomization techniques: randomizing the intervals between process instances; or randomizing the duration of work time for a specific workstep in the process. Progress Developer Studio for OpenEdge provides four probability distribution types: Constant distribution, Negative Exponential distribution, Normal distribution, and Uniform distribution.