In the arena of modeling and simulation (M&S) data translation and integration is key to the success of every application. As the growth of sophistication in the ability to simultaneously apply live, virtual, and constructive simulation environments the ability to exchange data between environments and different architectures has grown in complexity.
The purpose of this paper is to serve as a primer to the challenges of data integration. The following discussion will present data characteristics, issues when employing different M&S architecture, and ways to mitigate the challenges of data interoperability. The paper will conclude with recommendations of tools and processes that will aid in the design of complex M&S environments.
While the focus of this article has to do with data the specific issue at hand is inviting complexity by introducing different data structures and architectures in an M&S network. Specifically, the simultaneous use of multiple M&S architectures introduces a level of complexity that will affect accuracy and performance. For the purpose of this discussion the Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) and the High Level Architecture (HLA) are used.