A DSS adapter is a software component made available to the end-user through the Scenario Manager. It wraps a numerical model in a generic format, allowing it to be used within the DSS like other models (of the same and other modeling tools).

The adapter functionality is largely divided into two groups: configuration and runtime. The configuration component is used to define the model in the DSS database. The runtime component is used by DSS to execute the model with varying inputs – single run, ensemble runs or optimization.


The configuration component basically reads and recognizes all model objects (e.g. catchments, river reaches, demand nodes, etc.), associated input parameters and time series, and output types (placeholders). Then it stores those in the DSS database. The runtime component is invoked when a scenario simulation is run. It exports the model, including any changes made to inputs and parameters, to a temporary folder, calls the modeling tool to run it, and then reads the results and saves them into the database as per the configuration of the scenario.


Available adapters in the DSS

With version 2.0 of the DSS, the following modeling tools have adapters:


· MIKE HYDRO: for river basin modeling including rainfall-runoff and irrigation.
· MIKE 11: for one dimensional hydrodynamic modeling
· MIKE SHE: for distributed hydrological and river basin modeling
· EPANET: for modeling pipeline networks


More adapters are under development for subsequent versions of the DSS; these include SWAT and WEAP.