Statistical methodology for Web-based simulation

This paper describes a procedure for assigning simulation trials to a set of parallel processors for the purpose of conducting a simulation study involving a complex simulation model in near real time. Unlike distributed simulation, where a complex simulation model is decomposed and its parts run in a parallel environment, the parallel replications approach discussed here involves running simulation replications to completion for the entire model. The unique element here is that the workload involved in running the simulation study is too time consuming to execute on a single workstation, so that the simulation analyst must utilize computer resources available through the Web. New statistical methodology is needed for running a complex simulation study in a Web-based, parallel replications environment.