In an interactive simulation the user is in control. It is possible to see the effects of the individual steps directly on the graphical representation of the CP-net. This means that the user can investigate the different states and choose between the enabled transitions. An interactive simulation is similar to single-step debugging. It is our experience that the insight and detailed knowledge of a system, which the users gain during the development and validation of a simulation model, is often as important as the results that the users get from the actual simulation runs.
Automatic simulations are similar to program executions.
Now the purpose is to be able to execute the CPN models as fast and efficient as possible, without detailed human interaction and inspection. However, the user still needs to interpret the simulation results. For this purpose it is often suitable to use animated, graphical representations providing an abstract, application-specific view of the current state and activities in the system. CP-nets also offers more formal verification methods, known as state space analysis and invariant analysis. In this way it is possible to prove, in the mathematical sense of the word, that a system has a certain set of behavioural properties.