1. AFIS MBSE Working Groups
MBSE Initiative Workshop
Jacksonville, 2012
Jean-Luc Wippler

2. Two MBSE tracks SysML oriented
Provide feedback
Enhance the “operability” of SysML within organisation
“Formal Approach” (or systemic) oriented
(re)discover and advertise/popularize some “more systemic oriented”, or more formal approaches like System Dynamics of J.Forrester.

3. Coverage of MBSE “formal approach” oriented
(beyond the « strict » understanding)
Models & Technical Processes
Model to solve
« How make my system run? (and know why!) »
Model to decide
« What is the less bad solution ? »
Model to produce (aka MDD or MDE)
« How to make my production repeatable and efficient? »
Models and Agreement Processes
Model to communicate (the goal of architecture frameworks)
« How to crystallise and share a common understanding of various stakeholders? »
Models & Management Process
Configuration management of engineering artefacts
Sharing and Collaborative work (incl. traceability)
Obsolescence management and data perenniality

4. MBSE should be a (the?) way to perform SE !
Performing a (SE) Technical Processes can be explained like this:
Input
Alternatives, conflicts, options, etc
Engineer i.e. Bring Added Value
Assess,
OPTIMIZE
Choices & impacts
VERIFY &
VALIDATE
DECIDE
JUSTIFY
V&V
facts
Output
Justifications
Adapted from IEEE 1220
Source : “Complex Systems and System of Systems Engineering” Dominique Luzeaux, Jean-René Ruault & Jean-Luc Wippler

5. Thus, useful models are …
Prescriptive Representation
Multidisciplinary or domain specific models
Decision Model
Risk Model
Performance Model
Cost Model
Input
Alternatives, conflicts, options, etc.
Engineer i.e. Bring Added Value
Assess,
System of Interest
OPTIMISE
Choices & impacts
VERIFY &
VALIDATE
DECIDE
JUSTIFY
Descriptive Representation
V&V facts
Output
Justifications
Virtual models, mock-ups, simulations, etc.
Optimization Model
Visible World Representation
Intelligible World Model based reasoning
Model Based Systems Engineering
Source : “Complex Systems and System of Systems Engineering” Dominique Luzeaux, Jean-René Ruault & Jean-Luc Wippler

6. Need to converge to an optimal solution in term of Performance and Cost
MBSE should provide means to explore efficiently the trade space to find where to gain performances wrt affordability (not a means to simply “promote” the supposed solution)
Unaffordable
Where we want to be
Cost/Performance Trade Space
Performance
How do you model Cost?
What is affordable or not?
How do you model Performance?
What is acceptable or not?
How do you model the trade space?
How do you assess the cost/performance balance?
How do you optimise it?
Unacceptable Performance
Cost
Source : USAF

7. MBSE “formal approach” foreseen directions (1/2)
Valorisation and dissemination of approaches like:
System Dynamics (J. Forrester)
Multidisciplinary optimisation
MATE (Multi Attribute Tradespace Exploration) …
Valorisation and dissemination of French R&D work around:
(Formal) Property based engineering
ADL (Architecture Description Languages)

8. MBSE “formal approach” foreseen directions (2/2)
a minimal, but formal ontology of system (restricted or not ? to architecture) :
graph theory ? (see MIT work about system architecture & design)
(semi)latices (see excellent article of Ch. Alexander “A city is not a tree”)
mereology ?
Formalisation of “ilities” (formal definition of)
formal assessment of “ilities” (modularity, …)
transformations and “operators” (design rules) on models to obtain (enhance) such ilities
Definition of xFFBD : a new step towards eFFBD to provide a yet simple, but formal and complete functional modelling technique of complex systems

9. Deployment of MBSE: the (real ?) Process model 