A case study of verification, validation, and accreditation for advanced distributed simulation

Abstract

The techniques and methodologies for verification and validation of software-based systems have arguably realized their greatest utility within the context of simulation. Advanced Distributed Simulation (ADS), a major initiative within the defense modeling and simulation community, presents a variety of challenges to the classical approaches. A case study of the development process and concomitant verification and validation activities for the Joint Training Confederation (JTC) is presented. The JTC is one of the largest current ADS efforts, and the primary application of the Aggregate Level Simulation Protocol. A dichotomy between classical verification and validation approaches and the requirements of a prototypical ADS environment is illustrated. Mechanisms and research directions to resolve these differences are briefly discussed.