Robust Simulation and Analysis of VE Network

Abstract

The robustness of a virtual enterprise (VE) system is an essential prerequisite for its reliable and efficient performance. This paper performs a study on robust simulation and analysis of VE network. Firstly, the VE network is modeled with an expression as (N, E, W) taking advantage of complex theory. Secondly, two defined global metrics, namely NE and NA, are defined to evaluate the robustness properties of VE network from the perspective of both the nodes and the edges, and static as well as dynamic robustness analysis on the two NE networks is launched. Finally, several experiments are undertaken to analyze the dynamic robustness of the two VE networks reacting to random or target attacks from the point of nodes and edges. Through the experiment result, it is found that the VE1 network is more robust than VE2 facing random attacks, while VE2 network is relatively more immune to target attacks comparing to VE1. Methods utilized in this article can provide an overall indication of the characteristics and robustness analysis of the VE network in static status as well as dynamical ones and also can provide an early caution of failures facing random or target attacks.