Performance prediction of real-time command, control, and communications (C3) systems

Many of the Command, Control, and Communication (C3) systems in the real world are supported by a common network or a network of networks. Predicting the performance of a C3 system consisting of sub-systems requires the integration of such sub-system models with the communication system models. When the system is used for a time critical mission, the network delay may play a decisive role in battle management.; In this dissertation, the architecture of a C3 system is represented by two layers: the functional layer and the physical layer. The synthetic execution model contains both architecture layers as separate executable models. Then, the two layered executable models are combined to develop a performance prediction model.; The executable functional model uses a Petri net to describe the logical behavior and the executable physical model uses a queueing net to represent the demand and/or contention of resources. The message-passing pattern is generated from the executable functional model using a state space analysis technique. The executable physical model processes these messages preserving the message-passing pattern. Once the network delay is measured in the executable physical model, the delay value is inserted into the executable functional model for performance prediction.; Since the communication service demands are isolated from the executable functional model, the communications network can be specified in any preferred level of detail independently. This enables the executable functional model to be invariant with respect to the executable physical model resulting in flexibility for designing a large-scale C3 information system. This property, together with the synthesis technique, enables both formal and simulation methods to be used for system analysis: the state space analysis technique of Petri nets and the simulation technique of queueing nets.; A case study in this dissertation shows how a small network delay in a C3 system affects the outcome of a time critical mission. It also illustrates design choices and shows how to develop tactics to provide tolerance to network delays.