System Architecture and Operational Concept Validation through Modeling and Simulation

System and software architectures are the foundation on which network centric communications platforms are constructed and must be defined early in the design process. If flaws lurk in these architectures well into a project, costly and time consuming redesign may be necessary. The capability to perform system and software architecture modeling and verification is enabled by incorporating recently available model driven design tools into the system development process. These tools provide standard based UML modeling capabilities that allow for software and system architecture design, as well as DoDAF modeling capabilities for documenting system architecture and verifying operational scenarios. Once created, these models are executed to evaluate system operation for scenarios of interest. This paper describes the use of model driven design tools to verify system and software architecture and operational concepts early in the project design process

INTRODUCTION

The heart of any network centric communications platform is the system and software architecture that defines the system implementation. Systems engineers are responsible for defining the architecture by specifying the number and type of system components, system processes, component processes, connection between components, and the information exchanges between components. Due to the dependence of the detailed design on this underlying architecture, the architecture must be defined in the first step of the product development process while requirements and the system applications are the least well understood and most subject to change.