SAS/OR: The netWorks Application

Random and Exogenous Variation

Random variations play a central role in network simulation. Distributional and Scalar Distributional attributes use random variation as well as traffic generators. In each of these cases you have access to a combo box, such as the one in Figure B.1 labeled "Distribution," to show the use of the source of variation. If you click on the down arrow, a list that includes the available distributions is displayed.

Figure B.1: Source of Variation Combo Box

When you select one of these distributions, the selection is displayed in the text area to the left of the down arrow. For each distribution you select, you can set one or more parameters that further define the choice.

There are two types of sources of variation, random and exogenous. These are not mutually exclusive. That is, an exogenous source of variation can be randomly generated.

Random and Exogenous Variation

Random Sources of Variation

FormulaDistribution

DataSource