NPSNET : integration of distributed interactive simulation (DIS) protocol for communication architecture and information interchange

Abstract

The Computer Science Department at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California has developed a low-cost real-time interactive network based simulation system, known as NPSNET, that uses Silicon Graphics workstations. NPSNET has used non-standard protocols which constrains its participation in distributed simulation. DIS specifies standard protocols and is emerging as the international standard for distributed simulation. This research focused on the development of a robust, high-performance implementation of the DIS Version 2.0.3 protocol to support graphic simulation systems (e.g. NPSNET). The challenge was to comply with the standard and minimize network latency thereby maintaining the time and space coherence of distributed simulations. The resulting DIS Network Library consists of an application program interface (API) to low level network routines, a host of network utilities, and a network harness that takes advantage of multiprocessor workstations. The library was successfully tested on our local network and two configurations of a T-I based internet, the Defense Simulation Internet (DSI), with the Air Force Institute of Technology and Advanced Research Projects Agency. The testing confirmed that the semantics and syntax of the DIS protocol is properly implemented and the latency incurred by the network does not adversely effect the simulation application.