Introduction to generalized Stochastic Petri nets

Generalized Stochastic Petri Nets are a modelling formalism that can be conveniently used for the analysis of complex models of Discrete Event Dynamic Systems and for their performance and reliability evaluation. The automatic construction of the probabilistic models that underly the dynamic behaviours of these nets rely on a set of results that derive from the theory of untimed Petri nets. The paper briefly surveys some results of net theory together with the different approaches used to introduce the concept of time in these models that are useful for the definition of Stochastic Petri Nets and Generalized Stochastic Petri Nets. Details on the solution techniques and on their computational aspects are provided. A brief overview of advanced material is included at the end of the paper to highlight the state of the art in this field and to give pointers to relevant results published in the literature.