Elevator Scheduling Simulator 🏢 🏦 🏨 🏬

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Description

A simulation environment, which mimics the scheduling of multiple elevators within a building of any size. The multithreaded approach helps to simulate elevators running concurrently. The simulation also makes use of several group scheduling algorithms, which help to distribute the workload between elevator-cars as well as make the elevators adaptable to various situations (eg. more people in the morning - Up-Peak, everyone is going to the main floor - Zoning).

How to Run

> cd src/
> javac *.java
> java Building <number of floors> <number of elevators> <building population>

Data Structures Used

• CopyOnWriteArrayList - Source I, CopyOnWriteArrayList - Source II
  • Makes it possible to iterate over a list in a safe way, even when concurrent modification is happening
    • Creates a snapshot of the array, every time a mutation operation is invoked, hence, the iteration would always take place on the previous version of the array
  • The data structure was used to hold floorCalls and carCalls in the Elevator class
• PriorityBlockingQueue
  • Supplies blocking retrieval operations
  • Allows for custom element ordering
  • The data structure was used to implement sequence, in which the calls had to be sorted based on their passage

Group Scheduling Algorithms Implemented

• Round-Robin

  • Is the default group scheduling algorithm
  • Calls are assigned in the order they arrive in a sequential way to single elevators

• Up-Peak

  • A variation of Round-Robin
  • If an elevator is idle for ~7 seconds, then a call is generated to take the elevator to the lobby
  • This reduces the waiting time for future passengers arriving at the lobby

• Zoning

  • Splits a building into several adjacent zones
  • Every elevator only serving floor calls that occur in the zone assigned to the respective car
  • Implemented Static Zoning, zones are assigned permanently

• Three-Passage

  • Estimates the costs that would result from assigning a new call to the elevator
  • The call is assigned to the elevator with the lowest costs
  • In case every elevator already reached 80% load (number of calls > 80% elevator's capacity), calls will not get assigned until at least one elevator falls below this mark

Threads

Building.java Thread

• The main thread
• Randomly chooses a floor from the floors array and calls the generatePassenger() method
• Sleep time is ~ 20 seconds

GroupElevatorController.java Thread

• The thread calls the scheduler() method with an interval of ~ 2 seconds
• The scheduler() method scans the floors array and looks for passengers
• If a passenger is found, then a job is assign to one of the elevators from the elevatorGroup array
• The target elevator is chosen by group scheduling algorithms

Elevator.java Thread I

• The elevatorControllerThread calls the elevatorController() method with an interval of ~ 2 seconds
• The elevatorController() method:
  • Gets a floorCall from floorCalls array
  • Assigns it a passage
  • Adds it to the sequence queue

Elevator.java Thread II

• The performJobThread calls the performJob() method with an interval of ~ 2 seconds
• The performJob() method:
  • Takes a call from sequence queue
  • Simulates the elevator going up or down

Elevator.java Thread III

• The upPeakThread relocates elevators in idle state to the lobby.

Elevator.java Thread IV

• The zoningThread relocates elevators in idle state to go to a floor within their assigned zone.

Information Sources

• Object level locking vs. Class level locking
• Intrinsic Locks and Synchronization
• PriorityBlockingQueue Javadoc
• CopyOnWriteArrayList Javadoc

What's Next

• Analyze each algorithm by running the system with different inputs:
  • Different number of elevators
  • Different number of requests
• Implement the functionality to switch dynamically between the algorithms during runtime
• Implemented disk scheduling algorithms:
  • First Come-First Serve (FCFS)
  • Shortest Seek Time First (SSTF)
  • Elevator (SCAN)
  • Circular SCAN (C-SCAN)
  • LOOK
  • C-LOOK
• Add GUI