A method of configuring a simulator, said method comprising: generating a graphical user interface (370, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1100, 1300) for display on a computer system, said graphical user interface comprises an on-screen display for enabling a user to define at least one customized attribute associated with a device profile for at least one device of a plurality of devices, said graphical user interface further for enabling a user to define the plurality of devices to be simulated for instantiation by said simulator based on said device profile, said graphical user interface further for enabling a user to define a quantity of said plurality of devices for instantiation by said simulator, wherein said customized attribute is unique to said at least one device; generating, based upon user interaction with said graphical user interface (370, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1100, 1300), configuration data for said at least one device based upon said customized attribute for configuring said simulator; and storing said configuration data in a first database for access by said simulator during a simulation of said plurality of devices and downloading and storing said configuration data in a second database within a device abstraction layer, and wherein the device abstraction layer enables communication between the plurality of devices and business applications that track or monitor the simulated device data; configuring, via a device configuration management component, said device abstraction layer based on said configuration data stored in said second database to implement communication between said simulator and a device monitoring component of the device abstraction layer, operable to process received simulated output data from said plurality of simulated devices; wherein said simulator is operable to generate simulated device data for said plurality of devices in accordance with said configuration data, and wherein said simulated device data is communicated to the device monitoring component of the device abstraction layer, wherein the device monitoring component processes the received simulated output data;;automatically instantiating said plurality of simulated devices in a memory by said simulator based on said device profile and said quantity; communicating a request to said device abstraction layer for a plurality of commands associated with said plurality of simulated devices; accessing said plurality of commands communication from said device abstraction layer by said simulator; and generating simulated device data, operable to be used to analyze a performance of components of the said device abstraction layer, based on an execution of said plurality of commands and said configuration data stored in said first database. generating a graphical user interface (370, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1100, 1300) for display on a computer system, said graphical user interface comprises an on-screen display for enabling a user to define at least one customized attribute associated with a device profile for at least one device of a plurality of devices, said graphical user interface further for enabling a user to define the plurality of devices to be simulated for instantiation by said simulator based on said device profile, said graphical user interface further for enabling a user to define a quantity of said plurality of devices for instantiation by said simulator, wherein said customized attribute is unique to said at least one device; generating, based upon user interaction with said graphical user interface (370, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1100, 1300), configuration data for said at least one device based upon said customized attribute for configuring said simulator; and storing said configuration data in a first database for access by said simulator during a simulation of said plurality of devices and downloading and storing said configuration data in a second database within a device abstraction layer, and wherein the device abstraction layer enables communication between the plurality of devices and business applications that track or monitor the simulated device data; configuring, via a device configuration management component, said device abstraction layer based on said configuration data stored in said second database to implement communication between said simulator and a device monitoring component of the device abstraction layer, operable to process received simulated output data from said plurality of simulated devices; wherein said simulator is operable to generate simulated device data for said plurality of devices in accordance with said configuration data, and wherein said simulated device data is communicated to the device monitoring component of the device abstraction layer, wherein the device monitoring component processes the received simulated output data;;automatically instantiating said plurality of simulated devices in a memory by said simulator based on said device profile and said quantity; communicating a request to said device abstraction layer for a plurality of commands associated with said plurality of simulated devices; accessing said plurality of commands communication from said device abstraction layer by said simulator; and generating simulated device data, operable to be used to analyze a performance of components of the said device abstraction layer, based on an execution of said plurality of commands and said configuration data stored in said first database.