Overview
Simulations can be found in many aspects of our lives. Every morning you wake up to
the sound of your electronic alarm clock; the power companies use simulations to understand
the usage demand of electricity to ensure that the supply can meet the demand. You
stumble over to your computer to check the days'
weather; the weather service uses computational intense simulations to predict the
weather down to 12 kilometer squares. On your drive to work, simulations predict
traffic patterns and adjust the stop lights to minimize backups. At work you check
your stocks; the stock markets use complicated simulations to model trading
and buy and sell accordingly. While your boss isn't looking you grab a quick game
of solitaire; games of all types and genres are simulations. The list of simulations
is endless.
The hardware available to run simulations is becoming more complex. Multi-processor
machines are becoming more common. Processors are being introduced with multiple
cores (or processors) on a single chip. Distributed computing projects such as SETI
are tapping the unused processing power of thousands of computers around the world.
Software developers are struggling to meet the increasing demand for more simulations
while providing the flexibility to run on the latest hardware.
To address these needs, Simlets and the Simulation Container were created
to provide the developer with the tools they need to fill
the growing gap between supply and demand.
