3.1.3 Strategy For the Composition and Development of the Authoritative System Representation (ASR)

Abstract

AbstractEngineering a system in this era of hyper‐complexity and massive scale, necessitates modeling and simulation (M&S) application at nearly every step of the system's life‐cycle. The sequential nature of the Systems Engineering (SE) process provides opportunities to apply M&S that is particularly suited to each phase of the SE process. The credibility of M&S is strongly tied to the degree of similarity or fidelity of the M&S tool and its appropriateness in addressing the immediate engineering issues within the current SE phase. Correspondingly, engineering and developing the M&S tool requires a degree of specification analogous to the specification of requirements associated with the system. This specification serves to define what the tool is to do. It also serves to benchmark how well it is to do it so that it will be clear if the M&S tool was built correctly (through Verification and Validation). But unlike the larger system to which the tool will be employed, a majority of the M&S tool specification is not of the tool, itself, but rather the portrayal of the object of its employment— the system/element under engineering or scrutiny. This is referred to as the system representation or simply, the representation.This paper focuses on the development of a formal representation product for M&S mandated in the Defense (more specifically, Army) Acquisition system entitled the Authoritative System Representation (ASR). The paper's perspective is strongly oriented on the M&S developer's challenge of providing, to the System Engineer, tools that fulfil engineering needs. Every attempt is made to correlate System Engineering practices with Software Development practices of sound M&S construction. The ASR is a critical, but previously unheralded, component of the Defense Acquisition concept of Simulation Based Acquisition. This paper strives to share insight into this M&S product which is deserving of understanding by System Engineers.