How do you choose the best simulation verification and validation techniques for your project?

1 What are V&V and why are they important?

V&V are two distinct but related processes that aim to evaluate the quality and performance of your simulation. Verification is the process of checking whether your simulation is built correctly, that is, whether it follows the intended design and logic, and whether it is free of errors and bugs. Validation is the process of checking whether your simulation is the correct one, that is, whether it matches the real-world system and its behavior, and whether it meets the specified objectives and criteria. V&V are important because they provide confidence and evidence that your simulation is fit for its intended use and can support your decision-making and analysis.

2 How to plan your V&V activities?

Before you start your V&V activities, you need to have a clear plan that defines the scope, objectives, criteria, methods, and resources of your V&V. You also need to identify the stakeholders and users of your simulation, and their expectations and needs. A good way to plan your V&V is to use a V&V plan template, such as the one proposed by the IEEE Standard for Verification and Validation of Computational Modeling and Simulation (IEEE 1012-2016). A V&V plan template can help you organize and document your V&V activities, and ensure that they are consistent, traceable, and transparent.

3 What are some common V&V techniques?

There are many V&V techniques available, each with its own advantages and limitations. Depending on the type, complexity, and purpose of your simulation, you may need to use different techniques or combine them. Code reviews and inspections are methods of examining the source code to detect errors, inconsistencies, and deviations from the design specifications. Testing is executing your simulation with various inputs and scenarios, then comparing the outputs and outcomes with the expected results. Debugging is identifying and correcting errors that cause your simulation to fail or behave unexpectedly. Calibration is adjusting parameters and inputs to match real-world system behavior. Verification benchmarks are standard problems or cases with known or analytical solutions that can be used to test accuracy and robustness of your simulation.

4 What are some common V&V tools?

In addition to the techniques mentioned above, there are also some tools that can help you perform and automate your V&V activities. Simulation frameworks, such as Simulink, AnyLogic, NetLogo, and OpenModelica, provide a common environment and interface for developing, running, and analyzing simulations. Simulation libraries, like Modelica, SimPy, DEVSIMPy, and SimEvents, offer pre-defined models, components or functions which can be used to build or enhance your simulation. Moreover, simulation standards like IEEE 1012-2016, IEEE 1516-2010, ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288-2015 and SISO-STD-001-2015 provide guidelines or specifications that define the best practices for simulation development, execution or evaluation; helping to improve the quality and credibility of your simulation.

5 How to choose the best V&V techniques and tools for your project?

When deciding which V&V techniques and tools to use for your project, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Factors such as the complexity and uncertainty of your simulation, the purpose and context of it, the availability and quality of data, as well as the resources and constraints of your project should all be taken into account. Depending on these factors, you may need to use multiple techniques or tools to cover different aspects or levels of your simulation, to address different objectives or questions, to obtain data from different sources or formats, or to optimize the time, cost, effort, or risk of your V&V. Ultimately, you should strive to balance the trade-offs between the quality and efficiency of your V&V.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?