In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure includes a method for executing application software during a simulation that models a processor for which the application software was developed. The method may include capturing results of the simulation to produce a simulation history. The method may also include providing a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes one or more cross-linked packet-centric views of the simulation history for packets operated on by the application software during the simulation. The cross-linked packet-centric views may include a packet status list GUI, a packet event list GUI, a packet dataflow GUI, a thread list GUI, and a thread history GUI. Of course, many alternatives, variations and modifications are possible without departing from this embodiment.