System Of Systems Requirements Research Articles

Assessing system of systems information security risk with OASoSIS

The term System of Systems (SoS) is used to describe the coming together of independent systems, collaborating to achieve a new or higher purpose. However, the SoS concept is often misunderstood within operational environments, providing challenges towards the secure design and operation of SoSs. Limitations in existing literature indicates a need for discovery towards identifying a combination of concepts, models, and techniques suitable for assessing SoS security risk and related human factor concerns for SoS Requirements Engineering. In this article, we present OASoSIS, representing an information security risk assessment and modelling process to assist risk-based decision making in SoS Requirements Engineering. A characterisation process is introduced to capture the SoS context, supporting a SoS security risk assessment process that extends OCTAVE Allegro towards a SoS context. Resulting risk data provides a focused means to assess and model the SoS information security risk and related human factors, integrating tool-support using CAIRIS. A medical evacuation SoS case study scenario was used to test, illustrate, and validate the alignment of concepts, models, and techniques for assessing SoS information security risks with OASoSIS, where findings provide a positive basis for future work.

Research on Projection Gray Target Model Based on FANP-QFD for Weapon System of Systems Capability Evaluation

The construction and evaluation of weapon system of systems (SoS) construction should start from the perspective of demand so that the system construction can better meet the actual demand. Based on the in-depth analysis of SoS architecture, an integrated framework for SoS requirements decomposition and capability evaluation is proposed. First of all, quality function development (QFD) is used to decompose the SoS requirements step-by-step. According to the house of quality mapping from missions to capabilities and performances, SoS evaluation indicator elements are determined and the requirement analysis framework is primarily formed. Second, the fuzzy analytical network process (FANP) is used to capture both symmetrical and asymmetrical relationships between the factors of each level in which priorities are calculated under subjective, vague, and uncertain preference information. And then, weighted by priorities of performance requirements that calculated by integrating FANP and QFD model, a projection gray target model is constructed for SoS capability evaluation under uncertain information and poor data. Finally, the proposed model is verified effectively and accurately by a case study, which provides an integrated method for both SoS requirement analysis and capability evaluation, and lays a theoretical foundation for system design and system optimization. Capability evaluation, fuzzy analytical network process (FANP), gray target model, quality function development (QFD), requirements analysis, weapon system of systems (SoS).

Cloud Computing Cost and Energy Optimization through Federated Cloud SoS

The two most significant differentiators among contemporary cloud computing service providers have increased green energy use and data center resource utilization. This paper addresses these two issues from a system's architectural optimization viewpoint. The proposed approach herein allows multiple cloud providers to utilize their individual computing resources in three ways by: (1) cutting the number of datacenters needed, (2) scheduling available datacenter grid energy via aggregators to reduce costs and power outages, and lastly by (3) utilizing, where appropriate, more renewable, and carbon-free energy sources. Altogether our proposed approach creates an alternative paradigm for a federated cloud system-of-systems (SoS) approach. The proposed paradigm employs a novel control methodology that is tuned to obtain both financial and environmental advantages. It also supports dynamic expansion and contraction of computing capabilities for handling sudden variations in service demand as well as for maximizing usage of time-varying green energy supplies. Herein we analyze the core SoS requirements, concept synthesis, and functional architecture with an eye on avoiding inadvertent cascading conditions. We suggest a physical architecture that diminishes unwanted outcomes while encouraging desirable results. Finally, in our approach, the constituent cloud services retain their independent ownership, objectives, funding, and sustainability means.

A quality requirements model and verification approach for system of systems based on description logic

System of systems engineering (SoSE) involves the complex procedure of translating capability needs into the high-level requirements for system of systems (SoS) and evaluating how the SoS quality requirements meet their capability needs. One of the key issues is to model the SoS requirements and automate the verification procedure. To solve the problem of modeling and verification, meta-models are proposed to refine both functional and non-functional characteristics of the SoS requirements. A domain-specific modeling language is defined by extending Unified Modeling Language (UML) class and association with fuzzy constructs to model the vague and uncertain concepts of the SoS quality requirements. The efficiency evaluation function of the cloud model is introduced to evaluate the efficiency of the SoS quality requirements. Then a concise algorithm transforms the fuzzy UML models into the description logic (DL) ontology so that the verification can be automated with a DL reasoner. This method implements modeling and verification of high-level SoS quality requirements. A crisp case is used to facilitate and demonstrate the correctness and feasibility of this method.

An Application of SMC to continuous validation of heterogeneous systems

This paper considers the rigorous design of Systems of Systems (SoS), i.e. systems composed of a set of heterogeneous components whose number evolves with time. Such components cooperate to accomplish functions that they could not achieve in isolation. Examples of SoS include smart cities or airport management system. The dynamical evolution of SoS behavior and architecture makes it impossible to design an appropriate solution beforehand. Consequently, existing approaches build on an iterative process that takes SoS evolution into account. A key challenge in this process is the ability to reason about and analyze a given view of the SoS (on a fixed number of SoS constituents) with respect to a set of goals, and use the results to eventually predict the evolution of the SoS. To address this challenge, we rely on a scalable formal verification technique known as Statistical Model Checking (SMC). SMC quantifies how close the current view is from achieving a given mission. We integrate SMC with existing industrial practice, by addressing both methodological and technological issues. Our contribution is: (1) a methodology for validation of SoS formal requirements; (2) a formal specification language able to express complex SoS requirements; (3) the adoption of current industry standards for simulation and heterogeneous systems integration ; (4) a robust SMC tool-chain integrated with system design tools used in practice.We illustrate the application of our SMC tool-chain and the obtained results on a case study.

THE SYSTEM OF SYSTEMS APPROACH (SOSA)

ABSTRACTThere are number of ways in which organisations have chosen to manage their system of systems (SoS) which suits their business environment and particular SoS challenges. The system of systems approach (SOSA) is in response to the challenges presented by an increasingly complex capability design, acquisition and operating environment. The SOSA represents the way in which UK Defence applies systems engineering and systems approaches best practice in order to achieve effective and affordable military capability.In view of the need to maximise the agility and flexibility of a smaller armed forces to meet a wide range of possible operational scenarios and commitments, as captured in Defence Strategic Direction 2016. Rather than defining specific SoS requirements to meet a distinct purpose, the MOD has chosen to manage its SoS by maximising the SoS attributes such as interoperability, openness, commonality, reusability and coherence.

SoS contract verification using statistical model checking

Exhaustive formal verification for systems of systems (SoS) is impractical and cannot be applied on a large scale. In this paper we propose to use statistical model checking for efficient verification of SoS. We address three relevant aspects for systems of systems: 1) the model of the SoS, which includes stochastic aspects; 2) the formalization of the SoS requirements in the form of contracts; 3) the tool-chain to support statistical model checking for SoS. We adapt the SMC technique for application to heterogeneous SoS. We extend the UPDM/SysML specification language to express the SoS requirements that the implemented strategies over the SoS must satisfy. The requirements are specified with a new contract language specifically designed for SoS, targeting a high-level English- pattern language, but relying on an accurate semantics given by the standard temporal logics. The contracts are verified against the UPDM/SysML specification using the Statistical Model Checker (SMC) PLASMA combined with the simulation engine DESYRE, which integrates heterogeneous behavioral models through the functional mock-up interface (FMI) standard. The tool-chain allows computing an estimation of the satisfiability of the contracts by the SoS. The results help the system architect to trade-off different solutions to guide the evolution of the SoS.

Developing an Allocation of System of Systems Requirements for Border Security

AbstractDuring the initial concept development of a System of Systems (SoS) capability, a methodical process is required to develop the SoS requirements and then allocate them to their constituent systems. Review of existing Systems and SoS Engineering requirements literature do not identify such a process. This paper develops a process in order to create the SoS requirements, decompose and allocate them to their systems, develop a model to represent these requirements, and then assess their allocation properties.

11.4.2 Measuring the Requirements Allocation Capacity within a System of Systems

AbstractDuring the initial development of a System of Systems (SoS) capability, the developers and stakeholders may not be aware of all the options that are available to identify and allocate requirements at the system level. Traditional Systems Engineering techniques do not have the ability to construct and evaluate if these SoS requirements will be satisfied or not. This paper identifies a process in which to develop SoS requirements, trace them to their constituent systems, and evaluate whether the allocation was successful or not.

A Service-Oriented Method for System-of-Systems Requirements Analysis and Architecture Design

Nowadays various problems, including the rapid growth of complexity, continually changing requirements and the alignment of IT with business strategy, challenge traditional design principles in analyzing System-of-systems (SoS), while Service-Oriented Computing offers a flexible integration architecture to meet the dynamic requirements of SoS. This paper introduce a service-oriented modeling method for SoS requirements analysis based on a three-tier framework with multi-ontologies. The method provides a reusable and flexible solution for SoS requirements modeling and enable the high level requirements description of System-of-Systems can be mapped to service-oriented system design architecture directly. A case study is given to demonstrate the applicability of the method.

System of Systems Requirements Capacity Allocation

Traditional systems engineering requirements allocation follow a serial process to assign individual systems to execute objectives. When a System of Systems (SoS) is being developed, serial allocation of system requirements may be less suitable, and ensuring requirements loading is properly balanced between systems and that SoS requirements are covered (and not overly covered) by available systems may be less clear. This paper explores a methodology to quantitatively measure the requirements loading of each system to achieve SoS objectives. The approach seeks to maximize the coverage of functional requirements with a minimal number of systems, but also seeks to explore the balance of system responsibilities within the entire SoS to prevent over tasking of a particular piece of the SoS, and thus prevent the SoS objectives from being achieved. The paper seeks to identify a methodology of SoS requirements allocation to explore the contributions and redundancies of how the SoS requirements are assigned to individual systems. SoS requirements may also impose additional interoperability requirements in order to execute the objectives, but may be traded off with a lower and less demanding number of system requirements.

Managing the interstitials, a System of Systems framework suited for the Ballistic Missile Defense System

AbstractRecent engineering experiences with the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) highlight the need to analyze the BMDS System of Systems (SoS) including the numerous potential interactions between independently developed elements of the system. The term “interstitials” is used to define the domain of interfaces, interoperability, and integration between constituent systems in an SoS. The authors feel that this domain, at an SoS level, has received insufficient attention within systems engineering literature. The BMDS represents a challenging SoS case study as many of its initial elements were assembled from existing programs of record. The elements tend to perform as designed but their performance measures may not be consistent with the higher level SoS requirements. One of the BMDS challenges is interoperability, to focus the independent elements to interact in a number of ways, either subtle or overt, for a predictable and sustainable national capability. New capabilities desired by national leadership may involve modifications to kill chains, Command and Control (C2) constructs, improved coordination, and performance. These capabilities must be realized through modifications to programs of record and integration across elements of the system that have their own independent programmatic momentum. A challenge of SoS Engineering is to objectively evaluate competing solutions and assess the technical viability of tradeoff options. This paper will present a multifaceted technical approach for integrating a complex, adaptive SoS to achieve a functional capability. Architectural frameworks will be explored, a mathematical technique utilizing graph theory will be introduced, adjuncts to more traditional modeling and simulation techniques such as agent based modeling will be explored, and, finally, newly developed technical and managerial metrics to describe design maturity will be introduced. A theater BMDS construct will be used as a representative set of elements together with the interstitials representing the integration domain. Increased attention to the interstitial space of the overarching BMDS SoS construct and applying appropriate technical rigor and engineering due diligence with these added tools should greatly assist the BMDS in realizing its potential. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 14: 87–109, 2011