Entity Replicator

Replicate entities

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Libraries:
SimEvents

Description

The Entity Replicator block duplicates entities. It outputs replica entities and can also output the original entity. The block provides an output port for the original entity.

If the original entity departs the block before the replicas, then its replicas are destroyed. Selecting the Hold original entity until all replicas depart check box ensures that the replicas depart the block before the original entity.

An original entity can be extracted from this by block by the Entity Find block. If an original entity waiting in the Entity Replicator block is extracted, all the replicas are destroyed. Only the original entities can be extracted because the replicas can not acquire resources in this block. For more information about finding and extracting entities, see Find and Extract Entities in SimEvents Models.

Examples

Comparing Queuing Strategies

Have you ever been in a supermarket checkout and wondered why you are in the slowest line? This example shows how queuing systems can be modeled in SimEvents for this type of application. Two parallel versions of a simple model of a four register supermarket counter are presented - one that uses four separate queues and one with a single "serpentine" queue that feeds all registers.

• Open Model

Using Entity Priority to Sequence Departures

Use entity priority to sequence entity departures when multiple entities are available to depart. The example models an airport check-in counter where passengers arrive to be checked in. Passengers can have either First-Class, Business Class, or Economy Class reservations, modeled using entity priority values 1, 2 and 3 respectively.

• Open Model

Inventory Management

Build a simple inventory management system for a retail store. This example includes:

• Open Model

Ports

Input

Port_1 — Input entity

scalar | vector | matrix

Input entity port for entities entering the block.

Data Types: single | double | int8 | int16 | int32 | int64 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | uint64 | Boolean | enumerated | bus | string | fixed point

Output

Port_1 — Output replica entity

scalar | vector | matrix

Output entity port for replica entities exiting the block.

Data Types: single | double | int8 | int16 | int32 | int64 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | uint64 | Boolean | enumerated | bus | string | fixed point

Port_2 — Output the entity that is replicated

scalar | vector | matrix

Output entity port for original entities exiting the block.

Data Types: single | double | int8 | int16 | int32 | int64 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | uint64 | Boolean | enumerated | bus | string | fixed point

Parameters

Replicas depart from — Choose how replicas depart

Separate output ports (default) | Single output port

Choose if the replicas depart from separate output ports or a single output port.

• Separate output ports — Outputs one replica entity from each output port

• Single output port — Outputs all replicas from a single output port

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: ReplicasDepartFrom

Type: character vector

Values: 'Separate output ports' | 'Single output port'

Default: 'Separate output ports'

Replication amount source — Specify source of replica number

Dialog (default) | Attribute

Specify the source of replica number.

• Select Dialog to specify the number of replicas in the dialog box.

• Select Attribute to select an attribute that specifies the number of replicas.

Dependencies

This parameter is visible when you set Replicas depart from to Single output port.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: ReplicationAmountSource

Type: character vector

Values: 'Dialog' | 'Attribute'

Default: 'Dialog'

Number of replicas — Specify the number of replicas

1 (default) | scalar

Specify the number of replicas. If you select Single output port, all replicas depart from this output port. If you select Separate output ports, each replica has its own port.

Dependencies

This parameter is visible when you set Replicas depart from to Separate output ports or Single output port and Replication amount source to Dialog.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: NumberReplicas

Type: character vector

Values: '1' | scalar

Default: '1'

Replicate attribute name — Specify the attribute that determines the number of replicas

ReplicateAttribute (default) | character vector

Dependencies

Specify the attribute that determines the number of replicas. This parameter is visible when you set Replicas depart from to Single output port and Replication amount source to Attribute.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: ReplicateAttributeName

Type: character vector

Values: 'ReplicateAttribute' | character vector

Default: 'ReplicateAttribute'

Hold original entity until all replicas depart — Choose how replicas depart

off (default) | on

Select this check box to hold the original entity until all the replicas have departed. The block first attempts to send all the replicas before it sends out the original entity. Selecting this check box prevents destruction of replica entities when they do not depart the block before the original entity.

Programmatic Use

Block Parameter: HoldOriginalEntityUntilAllReplicasDepart

Type: character vector

Values: 'on' | 'off'

Default: 'off'

Version History

Introduced in R2016a