MBSE & MDA
Contents |
Objectives
1. Identify two or three definitive sources for a definition of MBSE(so as not to reinvent the wheel), but context for 3;
2. Identify two or three definitive sources for a definition of MDA (ditto);
3. Form a coherent explanation (graphical and textual) for the relationship(s) of MBSE and MDA;
4. Provide one or more Use Cases or scenarios in which MDA can support one or more SE activities in an MBSE context, and provide illustrations of same.
(Source: Email from JJ 26/4/2016, and subsequent reactions from team members, as recorded in sub-group status report 19/5/2016, [1] )
Team
The MBSE & MDA team currently comprises the following members:
| Member | Organisation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Julian Johnson | Holistem | Lead |
| Hedley Apperly | PTC | Member |
| Alistair Blair | Thales | Member |
| Ian Clark | MBDA | Member |
| Chris Raistrick | Abstract Solutions | Member |
| Francis Thom | Member |
Progress Reports
2016
Documents
| Date | Title | Author | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03-03-16 | MBSE and MDA; what are they and how do they interrelate? | J Johnson | Link |
| 19-05-16 | MDA at the MOD | C Raistrick | Link |
Emerging Outputs
1 Definitive sources for a definition of MBSE
INCOSE Systems Engineering Vision 2020, INCOSE-TP-2004-004-02, September, 2007:
"Model-based systems engineering (MBSE) is the formalized application of modeling to support system requirements, design, analysis, verification and validation activities beginning in the conceptual design phase and continuing throughout development and later life cycle phases. "
Note the above definition is also cited by "A practical Guide to SysML The Systems Modelling Language", Friendenthal, Moore and Steiner, MK / OMG, second edition, 2012.
Final Report, Model-Based Engineering Subcommittee, NDIA, Feb. 2011:
"Model-Based Engineering (MBE): An approach to engineering that uses models as an integral part of the technical baseline that includes the requirements, analysis, design, implementation, and verification of a capability, system, and/or product throughout the acquisition life cycle."
(This definition located in Slide 8 of file Model-based-Systems-Engineering-MBSE-101.ppt, Model-based Systems Engineering (MBSE) 101, presented at INCOSE International Workshop, 25-26/1/2014, Torrance, CA, USA.)
Model-based systems engineering (MBSE) is a systems engineering methodology that focuses on creating and exploiting domain models as the primary means of information exchange between engineers, rather than on document-based information exchange.
(tbc)
2 Definitive sources for a definition of MDA
The current version of the OMG MDA Guide 2.0 is available via that site as below:
A subset of the Executive Summary from the above guide is:
"MDA provides an approach for deriving value from models and architecture in support of the full life cycle of physical, organizational and I.T. systems."
The Executive summary goes onto elaborate what it means by 'models' and how such models can be used:
The MDA approach represents and supports everything from requirements to business modeling to technology implementations. By using MDA models, we are able to better deal with the complexity of large systems and the interaction and collaboration between organizations, people, hardware, software. The primary feature of MDA which enables us to deal with complexity and derive value from models and modeling is defining the structure, semantics, and notations of models using industry standards – models conforming to these standards are “MDA Models”. MDA models can then be used for the production of documentation, acquisition specifications, system specifications, technology artifacts (e.g. “source code”) and executable systems. MDA leverages models to enhance the agility of planning, design, and other lifecycle processes, and improve the quality and maintainability of the resulting products. MDA can also be used to relate the models to implemented solutions and related artifacts, such as when transforming a software design model to executable code, or relating the design model to its requirements. The MDA set of standards includes the representation and exchange of models in a variety of modeling languages, the transformation of models, the production of stakeholder documentation, and the execution of models. MDA models can represent systems at any level of abstraction or from different viewpoints, ranging from enterprise architectures to technology implementations. MDA “connects the dots” between these different viewpoints and abstractions.
