Re: [OpenSTA-users] Why isn't my Random variable very random?

[Bernie V. <Ber...@iP...>]

Hi Stephen,

I think I understand what is happening, but I'm going suggest a workaround 
instead of guessing or putting in the time to nail this down.

Workaround: If you don't like the random numbers generated by OpenSTA ( and 
depending on the version you have, there are some known bugs I think), you 
could always generate a list outside OpenSTA and import them...

 integer userthinktime (19624, 15201, 11692, 10762, 10927, 8732, 15496, &
       5387, 7544, 19403, 15315, 19253, 12551 ),  script ! This list was 
generated in excel using int(5000+rand()*15000)
                                                                             
            ! This list can be much longer
                                                                             
            ! Note the scope is SCRIPT... think about it.

next userthinktime
log userthinktime

-Bernie

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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephen Kay" <Ste...@on...>
To: <ope...@li...>
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 4:58 AM
Subject: [OpenSTA-users] Why isn't my Random variable very random?


>I can't quite get the hang of random variables and I'm sure I'm missing
> something, but I've looked at the help, sourceforge and tried some tests,
> but can't work out what I'm doing wrong.
>
> To highlight the problem I created a tiny script.
>
> I have this line in my definition section of script:
>
>      Integer           userthinktime     (5000 - 20000), RANDOM
>
> Then in the code section of my script I have these lines:
>
>      generate userthinktime
>      log userthinktime
>
> If I run this script in the modeler it logs a random value each time and
> that's good.  However, when I run this as a test for 10 seconds with 10
> users running the same script I get this sort of thing in the logs (i.e. 
> it
> increments by a few milliseconds each time):
> LOG: 13373,
> LOG: 13376,
> LOG: 13379,
> LOG: 13382,
> LOG: 13386,
> LOG: 13389,
> LOG: 13395,
> LOG: 13399,
> LOG: 13405,
> LOG: 13409,
> LOG: 13412,
> LOG: 13425,
> LOG: 13428,
> LOG: 13431,
>
>
> What I want is a genuinely random variable picked up by each virtual user
> running the script, but I can't work out how to do it.  I'll keep trying
> but if anyone knows how to do this I'd appreciate a nudge in the right
> direction.
>
> Thanks, Steve
>
>
>
> For the latest data on the economy and society consult National Statistics 
> at http://www.statistics.gov.uk
>
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