System, method and computer program product for developing a system-of-systems architecture model

• US 7,430,498 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2004
• Issued: 09/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Krikorian, Haig F., Gula, John A., Shivananda, Alaka D., Butterfield, Marion L.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THAI Q
• Application Number:
  US10/935,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20060064178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 703/2, 703/22, 703/27, 709/203, 709/248, 709/223, 709/227, 709/238, 717/101, 705/8
• US Class Current: 703/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method is provided for developing an architecture model for a system-of-systems (SoS) that includes n system levels L₁ . . . L_n, each of which includes at least one component of the SoS. For at least i>1, each system level L_i includes at least one component of level L_i-1. The method includes developing an architecture model for at least one level of the SoS. For at least i>1, the level L_i-1 architecture model can be developed by developing a functional architecture model for level L_i-1, and thereafter transforming the level L_i-1 functional architecture model into a physical architecture model for level L_i-1. The functional architecture model includes a functional and a logical structure for level L_i-1. And as such, the functional architecture model is developed based upon a concurrent functional and logical decomposition of a functional architecture model developed for level L_i.

Claims

1. A method of developing an architecture model for a system-of-systems (SoS) comprising a plurality of components, wherein the SoS comprises n system levels L₁ . . . L_n that each include at least one component of the SoS, wherein for at least i>

1 each system level L_i comprises at least one component of level L_i-1, wherein the components of the SoS collaborate to realize at least one goal established for the SoS, and wherein the method comprises;

establishing a requirements baseline for at least one level of the SOS, the requirements baseline including a plurality of modeling diagrams including a use case diagram, a class diagram and an interface class diagram;

establishing a functional architecture model for the level, the functional architecture model including a plurality of modeling diagrams including an activity diagram, a state diagram, a collaboration diagram and a sequence diagram, wherein for at least i>

1 the established functional architecture model for level L_i-1 includes a functional and a logical structure for level L_i-1, the functional architecture model being developed based upon a concurrent functional and logical decomposition of a functional architecture model developed for level L_i;

establishing a physical architecture model for the level, the physical architecture model including a plurality of modeling diagrams including a class diagram and a component diagram; and

developing the architecture model for the level of the SoS based upon the requirements baseline, functional architecture model and physical architecture model.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein establishing a requirements baseline comprises establishing a requirements baseline based upon a plurality of unified modeling language (UML) diagrams.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein establishing a requirements baseline for the level comprises:

identifying at least one requirements source;

developing at least one mission/system scenario, wherein developing at least one mission/system scenario includes;

identifying at least one mission/enterprise goal and at least one value recipient; and

identifying at least one mission/enterprise service required to achieve at least one mission/enterprise goal, and wherein the mission/system scenario is developed to achieve at least one mission/enterprise service for the level based upon at least one requirements source;

assessing at least one functional requirement for the level based upon at least one developed mission/system scenario;

verifying at least one development product, and thereafter generating and peer-reviewing level documentation; and

performing a requirements validation.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein establishing a functional architecture model comprises establishing a functional architecture model based upon a plurality of unified modeling language (UML) diagrams.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein establishing a functional architecture model comprises:

performing a functional analysis, including performing functional analysis for the level to thereby establish a functional architecture model for the level that can be traced to a requirements baseline;

developing a functional architecture model for the level, the functional architecture model including a functional and a logical structure for level;

incorporating at least one effect of at least one quality attribute into the functional architecture model for the level;

identifying at least one alternative functional architecture candidate model, and thereafter selecting a functional architecture model for the level from the developed functional architecture model and the at least one alternative functional architecture candidate model;

verifying at least one development product, and thereafter generating and peer-reviewing level documentation; and

verifying the selected functional architecture model against a requirements baseline for the level.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein for at least i>

1 developing an architecture model for level L_i-1 further comprises transforming the level L_i-1 functional architecture model into a physical architecture model for level L_i-1.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein establishing a physical architecture model comprises establishing a physical architecture model based upon a plurality of unified modeling language (UML) diagrams.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein establishing a physical architecture model comprises:

identifying an initial physical architecture model for the level;

identifying at least one alternative physical architecture candidate model for the level;

assessing the initial physical architecture model and the at least one alternative physical architecture candidate model;

selecting a physical architecture model for the level based upon the assessment of the initial physical architecture model and the at least one alternative physical architecture candidate model;

verifying at least one development product, and thereafter generating and peer-reviewing level documentation; and

verifying the selected physical architecture model against a requirements baseline and the functional architecture for the level.

9. A computer program product for performing a method of developing an architecture model for a system-of-systems (SoS) comprising a plurality of components, wherein the SoS comprises n system levels L₁ . . . L_n that each include at least one component of the SoS, wherein for at least i>

1 each system level L_i comprises at least one component of level L_i-1, wherein the components of the SoS collaborate to realize at least one goal established for the SoS, and wherein the computer program product comprises at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein and configured to at least one of perform or facilitate performance of the method, the method comprising;

establishing a requirements baseline for the level, the requirements baseline including a plurality of modeling diagrams including a use case diagram, a class diagram and an interface class diagram;

establishing a functional architecture model for the level, the functional architecture model including a plurality of modeling diagrams including an activity diagram, a state diagram, a collaboration diagram and a sequence diagram, wherein for at least i>

1 the established functional architecture model for level L_i-1 includes a functional and a logical structure for level L_i-1, the functional architecture model being developed based upon a concurrent functional and logical decomposition of a functional architecture model developed for level L_i;

establishing a physical architecture model for the level, the physical architecture model including a plurality of modeling diagrams including a class diagram and a component diagram; and

developing the architecture model for the level of the SoS based upon the requirements baseline, functional architecture model and physical architecture model.

10. A computer program product according to claim 9, wherein establishing a requirements baseline comprises establishing a requirements baseline based upon a plurality of unified modeling language (UML) diagrams.

11. A computer program product according to claim 9, wherein establishing a requirements baseline for the level comprises:

identifying at least one requirements source;

developing at least one mission/system scenario, wherein developing at least one mission/system scenario includes;

identifying at least one mission/enterprise goal and at least one value recipient; and

identifying at least one mission/enterprise service required to achieve at least one mission/enterprise goal, and wherein the mission/system scenario is developed to achieve at least one mission/enterprise service for the level based upon at least one requirements source;

assessing at least one functional requirement for the level based upon at least one developed mission/system scenario;

verifying at least one development product, and thereafter generating and peer-reviewing level documentation; and

performing a requirements validation.

12. A computer program product according to claim 9, wherein establishing a functional architecture model comprises establishing a functional architecture model based upon a plurality of unified modeling language (UML) diagrams.

13. A computer program product according to claim 9, wherein establishing a functional architecture model comprises:

performing a functional analysis, including performing functional analysis for the level to thereby establish a functional architecture model for the level that can be traced to a requirements baseline;

developing a functional architecture model for the level, the functional architecture model including a functional and a logical structure for level;

incorporating at least one effect of at least one quality attribute into the functional architecture model for the level;

identifying at least one alternative functional architecture candidate model, and thereafter selecting a functional architecture model for the level from the developed functional architecture model and the at least one alternative functional architecture candidate model;

verifying at least one development product, and thereafter generating and peer-reviewing level documentation; and

verifying the selected functional architecture model against a requirements baseline for the level.

14. A computer program product according to claim 9, wherein for at least i>

1 developing an architecture model for level L_i-1 further comprises transforming the level L_i-1 functional architecture model into a physical architecture model for level L_i-1.

15. A computer program product according to claim 9, wherein establishing a physical architecture model comprises establishing a physical architecture model based upon a plurality of unified modeling language (UML) diagrams.

16. A computer program product according to claim 9, wherein establishing a physical architecture model comprises:

identifying an initial physical architecture model for the level;

identifying at least one alternative physical architecture candidate model for the level;

assessing the initial physical architecture model and the at least one alternative physical architecture candidate model;

selecting a physical architecture model for the level based upon the assessment of the initial physical architecture model and the at least one alternative physical architecture candidate model;

verifying at least one development product, and thereafter generating and peer-reviewing level documentation; and

verifying the selected physical architecture model against a requirements baseline and the functional architecture for the level.

17. A computer program product for performing a method of developing an architecture model for a system-of-systems (SoS) having a plurality of components that collaborate to realize at least one goal for the SoS, the components being arranged with at least two levels and with each relative upper level including at least one component of a relative lower level beneath the upper level, wherein the computer program product comprises at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein and configured to at least one of perform or facilitate performance of the method, the method comprising:

establishing a requirements baseline for at least one level, the requirements baseline including a plurality of modeling diagrams including a use case diagram, a class diagram and an interface class diagram;

establishing a functional architecture model for the level, the functional architecture model including a plurality of modeling diagrams including an activity diagram, a state diagram, a collaboration diagram and a sequence diagram, wherein for a relative lower level the established functional architecture model includes a functional and a logical structure, the functional architecture model being developed based on a concurrent functional and logical decomposition of a functional architecture model developed for the level immediately above the respective relative lower level;

establishing a physical architecture model for the level, the physical architecture model including a plurality of modeling diagrams including a class diagram and a component diagram; and

developing the architecture modet for the level of the SoS based upon the requirements baseline, functional architecture model and physical architecture model.

18. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein establishing a requirements baseline comprises establishing a requirements baseline based upon a plurality of unified modeling language (UML) diagrams.

19. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein establishing a requirements baseline for the level comprises:

identifying at least one requirements source;

developing at least one mission/system scenario, wherein developing at least one mission/system scenario includes;

identifying at least one mission/enterprise goal and at least one value recipient; and

identifying at least one mission/enterprise service required to achieve at least one mission/enterprise goal, and wherein the mission/system scenario is developed to achieve at least one mission/enterprise service for the level based upon at least one requirements source;

assessing at least one functional requirement for the level based upon at least one developed mission/system scenario;

verifying at least one development product, and thereafter generating and peer-reviewing level documentation; and

performing a requirements validation.

20. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein establishing a functional architecture model comprises establishing a functional architecture model based upon a plurality of unified modeling language (UML) diagrams.

21. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein establishing a functional architecture model comprises:

performing a functional analysis, including performing functional analysis for the level to thereby establish a functional architecture model for the level that can be traced to a requirements baseline;

developing a functional architecture model for the level, the functional architecture model including a functional and a logical structure for level;

incorporating at least one effect of at least one quality attribute into the functional architecture model for the level;

identifying at least one alternative functional architecture candidate model, and thereafter selecting a functional architecture model for the level from the developed functional architecture model and the at least one alternative functional architecture candidate model;

verifying at least one development product, and thereafter generating and peer-reviewing level documentation; and

verifying the selected functional architecture model against a requirements baseline for the level.

22. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein developing an architecture model further includes transforming the functional architecture model for the respective relative lower level into a physical architecture model for the respective relative lower level.

23. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein establishing a physical architecture model comprises establishing a physical architecture model based upon a plurality of unified modeling language (UML) diagrams.

24. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein establishing a physical architecture model comprises:

identifying an initial physical architecture model for the level;

identifying at least one alternative physical architecture candidate model for the level;

assessing the initial physical architecture model and the at least one alternative physical architecture candidate model;

selecting a physical architecture model for the level based upon the assessment of the initial physical architecture model and the at least one alternative physical architecture candidate model;

verifying at least one development product, and thereafter generating and peer-reviewing level documentation; and

verifying the selected physical architecture model against a requirements baseline and the functional architecture for the level.

25. A method of developing an architecture model for a system-of-systems (SoS) having a plurality of components that collaborate to realize at least one goal for the SoS, the components being arranged with at least two levels and with each relative upper level including at least one component of a relative lower level beneath the upper level, the method comprising:

establishing a requirements baseline for at least one level, the requirements baseline including a plurality of modeling diagrams including a use case diagram, a class diagram and an interface class diagram;

establishing a functional architecture model for the level, the functional architecture model including a plurality of modeling diagrams including an activity diagram, a state diagram, a collaboration diagram and a sequence diagram;

establishing a functional architecture model for the level, the functional architecture model including a plurality of modeling diagrams including an activity diagram, a state diagram, a collaboration diagram and a sequence diagram, wherein for a relative lower level the established functional architecture model includes a functional and a logical structure, the functional architecture model being developed based on a concurrent functional and logical decomposition of a functional architecture model developed for the level immediately above the respective relative lower level;

establishing a physical architecture model for the level, the physical architecture model including a plurality of modeling diagrams including a class diagram and a component diagram; and

developing the architecture model for the level of the SoS based upon the requirements baseline, functional architecture model and physical architecture model.