Architecting Descriptive Models for MBSE

Abstract

AbstractModel‐Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is becoming increasingly recognized as a critical enabler for significantly improving the effectiveness and efficiency of systems engineering. While MBSE is seeing significant growth in its application to complex system development programs, the growth of MBSE adoption and realized value is often stymied by the growth of technical debt in the descriptive models that serve as the foundation of knowledge capture and communication in an MBSE environment. Just as a good system architect or software architect makes key decisions early in the life of a system or software product to maximize the likelihood of stakeholder satisfaction throughout its life, a good model architect can provide that same invaluable function for descriptive models. The methods and practices of system and software architecting can be readily adapted to address the technical debt growth problem often seen in the development of descriptive models. This paper describes the emerging discipline of “model architecting,” comparing and contrasting it with system and software architecting practices. The paper describes a representative set of model architecting patterns that illustrate model architecting principles, then identifies some of the key roles, responsibilities, and competencies required of the model architect.