BPSim - Step Page

After successfully running the execution, the system generates an execution report that tells you the process status in general, such as (for the Car Repair example) the average time of a task, the total waiting time of customers and how many issues are repaired.

In addition, you can inspect the process from various angles. For example:

• From the timestamp - what was the status of this process at 9:30 AM?
• From the token - what did the 3rd customer do in the shop?
• From the property - how does the number of issues decrease and increase for the 2nd car?
• From multiple threads - can I see customers walk in and simulate automatically on the diagram?
• From the resources - when is a support person busy or idle? Why is a customer waiting for 40 minutes?

All of these kinds of question can be answered on the 'Step' page.

Access

Toolbar Options

Option	Description	See also
	Click on this button to simulate the process automatically based on the execution result. Click on the drop-down arrow and on the menu option 'Set Speed for Replay', and adjust the simulation speed as a multiple of normal. For example, typing '60' make the simulation 60 times faster than the actual activity; 1 minute in real life will be simulated in 1 second.
	Click on this button to pause the auto-replay simulation.
	Click on this button to stop the simulation.
	Click on this button to 'Step over' to the next timestamp. Each 'Step over' can contain multiple 'steps'.
	Click on this button to play a single step. This represents a single movement of a token in the process.
	Click on this button to generate a Timing Diagram for the simulation. You can choose from the menu, either 'Generate a single timeline for each token' or 'Generate multiple timelines for each token'. See Generate Timing Diagram later in this topic.
	Click on this button to export the filtered records on this step page to a CSV file. You can choose from which tab ('Tokens', 'Property Parameters' or 'Resources') the data is exported.

Tokens Tab

After running the execution, this page will be filled with token information during the simulation; the sequence of entries is in order of triggering time.

• Using the Filter Bar in the Header band (right-click on the column heading and select 'Toggle Filter Bar') you can filter the results shown; for example, typing 03 in the 'Token ID' column will show only the records for token 03
• If you click once on the Step in button, one record in the list will play
• If you double-click on a record the simulation will 'Step to' that record from the beginning
• If time parameters are set on the elements, clicking on the Step over button will run to the last record of the next time event
• When a record in the list is played, the simulation snapshot will show on the diagram

Property Parameters Tab

While the records on the 'Tokens' tab are played, the 'Property Parameters' tab will show the runtime value of properties at the timestamp.

For example, a BPMN process to calculate Fibonacci numbers might be modeled in this way:

After defining property parameters, configuring BPSim parameters for each element and executing the model, we are ready for the step simulation:

The 'Message' column indicates that properties 'N', 'first', 'n' and 'second' are initialized.

If you keep clicking on the Step in button, the properties in the list will change their values. The illustration shows that on entering task 'next = first + second', the value of property 'next' changes from 89 to 144.

Resources Tab

While the records on the 'Tokens' tab are played, the 'Resources' tab will show the runtime resource available, the quantity of that resource available and the allocation or release events at the timestamp.

Generate Timing Diagram

When time parameters are configured on the BPMN elements, Enterprise Architect can generate a Timing diagram for the simulation process.

• Generate a single timeline for each token - use this option for a 'single threaded' process; that is, no Parallel Gateway or Event sub-processes

• Generate multiple timelines for each token - use this option in cases where the 'Generate a single timeline for each token' option does not apply

For example:

Execute this model and click on 'Generate multiple timelines for each token' the generated Timing diagram resembles this:

Learn more

• BPSim - Configure Page
• BPSim - Execute Page
• BPSim - Review Page