Tutorial Abstracts
NEW TUTORIAL: TUTORIAL I (morning)
Title: Introduction to Defence Test & Evaluation
Instructor: Steve Hamilton & Peter Nikoloff, Nova Systems
This tutorial is an excellent introduction for those people that have had little exposure to T&E particularly in the Defence environment. This tutorial we will provide a high level overview of Australian Department of Defence T&E policy, planning, types of testing and applicability during the different phases of a project, test program constraints, risk, data collection considerations and reporting. Test and Evaluation is an important and essential tool used during the entire life cycle of a system providing information to stakeholders for decision making and managing risk. T&E is used by everyone from developers confirming a software routine works all the way to the war fighter fully understanding the capability of his system in its intended environment. The focus and approach to Test and Evaluation during the life cycle varies significantly with the two examples being presented in the tutorial demonstrating this point. The presenters have extensive Defence T&E experience in major and minor Defence projects with time being provide for the participants to discuss real world T&E issues. ;
TUTORIAL A (morning)
Title: A Roadmap for Model-Based Systems Engineering
Instructor: David Long, Vitech Corporation
This tutorial presents the model-based approach to systems engineering complete with a methodology, integrated language, and representations. The tutorial begins with the rationale for a model-based approach and contrasts it with documentation-based approaches (including PowerPoint engineering and diagram-based engineering). The emphasis throughout is on the process for defining and solving the systems engineering problem. While a full treatment is given to the variety of representations of the model (both traditional and SysML), a strong distinction is made between the process of solving the problem and the ways of representing the stages and results of that process. From the initial problem scoping and boundary definition through the testing of the candidate solutions, this tutorial covers the thinking process which engineers, architects, and analysts use to design and construct solution systems. Emphasis is given to the full integration of the work into a single model incorporating all of the domains and disciplines.
The tutorial will include the role of all domains (Requirements, Functional Behavior, Architecture and Verification and Validation) in the engineering process. The layer-by-layer “peeling of the onion” across each domain is explained with careful consideration given to how to know when enough engineering design is enough. The tutorial emphasizes the representations of the underlying thought and design work as the key to the multidisciplinary communication that is necessary to integrate all of the work of those disciplines into the design solution. The power of a single model of the solution system with a variety of ways in which it can be accessed and viewed is central concept here. A sample problem illustrates the roadmap and delivers a complete set of systems engineering products.
TUTORIAL B (afternoon)
Title: Model Based Capability Definition (using CORE®)
Instructor: Paul Logan
The Australian Department of Defence defines (in part) Capability as “the power to bring about a desired operational effect …” and Capability Development, at least in the initial phases of the life cycle of the Capability System, that is, the system that when acquired and fielded underpins the desired capability, as “… those activities involved with defining requirements for future capability…”
Capability Definition Documents (CDD) are “a suite of documents comprising Operational Concept Document (OCD), Function and Performance Specification (FPS) and Test Concept Document (TCD). These documents all report on or specify requirements of various kinds for the Capability System of interest. The documents, while critically underpinning effective capability acquisition and evaluation, are in essence no more than different views of the one system. For these views, that is, the written documents, to be coherent and consistent the system data contained within each must similarly comprise a single coherent, consistent, complete and preferably concise definition of the system.
A model-based systems engineering – and architecting – methodology supported by a tool such as Vitech Corporation’s CORE® provides the coherent and consistent data required for effective CDD production. While the physical documents may be seen as deliverables, it is the data model developed in the tool that delivers the information integrity and traceability necessary to verify and validate the content of the documents. The documents can be auto-generated (on demand) by the tool while the system data is maintained in a coherent and consistent manner by the relational database manager from which the tool is formed.
In this tutorial, participants will be introduced, via presentation, practical examples and a case study learning exercise, to a model-based methodology tailored specifically for capability definition and CDD production. The method applies and extends Vitech’s proven systems engineering and architecting methods to address capability system definition and CDD generation compliant with the Defence Capability Definition Documents Guide, including generation of necessary Defence Architecture Framework views.
Tutorial elements address the information model inherent in the CDD suite, how that information model is developed as a cohesive, consistent and concise data model in a tool such as CORE®, how the definition documents can be generated as reports on the data model, and how explicit automatic traceability between data elements in the separate documents can be achieved.
TUTORIAL C (morning)
Title: An Introduction to the Systems Modelling Language (SysML)
Instructor: Matthew Hause, Chief Consulting Engineer, Atego
The OMG Systems Modeling Language (OMG SysML™) is a general-purpose graphical modeling language for specifying, analyzing, designing, and verifying complex systems that may include hardware, software, information, personnel, procedures, and facilities. In particular, the language provides graphical representations with a semantic foundation for modeling system requirements, behavior, structure, and parametrics, which integrates with other engineering analysis models. SysML represents a subset of UML 2.0 with extensions needed to satisfy the requirements of the UML™ for Systems Engineering RFP.
The SysML specification was developed by a diverse group of tool vendors, end users, academia, and government representatives. The OMG SysML™ Specification was adopted in May 2006 and the v1.0 became an “available specification” in September, 2007. Several tool vendors including Artisan have implemented SysML in their tools.
This tutorial provides an introduction to how SysML can address the needs of the systems engineer. It includes background and motivation, an overview of the SysML diagram types and language concepts, and selected sample problems to demonstrate how the language can be used as part of a typical SE process. For more information, go to (http://www.omgsysml.org/).
We would like to stress that this is the tutorial that has been successfully presented many times at INCOSE and will contain no marketing or selling.
TUTORIAL D (afternoon)
Title: A Solutions Based Approach to MBSE Architectures
Instructor: Matthew Hause, Chief Consulting Engineer, Atego
UPDM is the Unified Profile for DoDAF and MODAF. The UPDM specification was developed by a diverse group of tool vendors, end users, academia, and government representatives. The UPDM Specification was submitted to the OMG in September 2008 and was finalized in June 2009. UPDM enjoys the full support of the DOD and MOD. The UML/SysML foundation improves the integration between architectural framework modeling and system modeling to support post acquisition life-cycle design and implementation. This tutorial provides a brief introduction to how UPDM will provide a standard means of expressing DoDAF and MODAF using SysML and UML, an overview of the UPDM views and viewpoints and language concepts, and selected sample problems to demonstrate how the language can be used. Following this, the course will proceed to demonstrate how the MBSE foundation of UPDM can provide the answers to problems found in projects: How to avoid the problems of stovepipe development? How to ensure that systems deployment is in line with capability deployment requirements? How to effectively use MBSE to provide trade-off analysis? How to transition from a system of systems to systems development? How to ensure system interfaces are compatible? How to communicate with non-experts? How to reuse architectures? How to integrate requirements management into modeling?
TUTORIAL F (afternoon)
Title: The Test and Training Enabling Architecture (TENA) Enabling Interoperability Among Ranges, Facilities, and Simulations
Instructor: Gene Hudgins, BAE Systems
The Test and Training Enabling Architecture (TENA) was developed as a US Department of Defense (DoD) project to enable interoperability among ranges, facilities, and simulations in a timely and cost-efficient manner, as well as to foster reuse of range assets and future software systems. TENA provides for real-time software system interoperability using the TENA Middleware, as well as interfaces to existing range assets, Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems, and simulations. The TENA Middleware, currently at Release 6.0.1, has been used throughout the range community for testing, evaluation, and feedback in many major exercises since 2002.
TENA has also been selected for use in Joint Mission Environment Test Capability (JMETC) events, well-designed for its role in prototyping demonstrations and distributed testing. JMETC is a distributed live, virtual, and constructive (LVC) testing capability developed to support the acquisition community during program development, developmental testing, operational testing, and interoperability certification, and to demonstrate Net-Ready Key Performance Parameters (KPP) requirements in a customer-specific Joint Mission Environment (JME). JMETC provides connectivity to the Services’ distributed test capabilities and simulations, as well as industry test resources. JMETC, aligned with the Joint National Training Capability (JNTC) integration solutions, promotes test, training, and experimental collaboration.
TENA, through its common infrastructure, including the TENA Middleware and other complementary architecture components, such as the TENA Repository, Logical Range Archive, and other TENA utilities and tools, provides the architecture and software implementation and capabilities necessary to quickly and economically enable interoperability among range systems, facilities, and simulations. TENA also fosters range asset reuse for enhanced utilization and provides composability to rapidly assemble, initialize, test, and execute a system from reusable, interoperable elements. Because of its field proven history and acceptance by the range community, TENA provides a technology already being deployed in the US Department of Defense.
The TENA Middleware, used by range instrumentation software and tools during range-event execution, is a high-performance, real-time infrastructure and is free and available for download, including documentation, at the TENA Software Development Activity (SDA) web site. The Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) manages TENA’s continuing development and refinement and provides extensive support to TENA users.
This tutorial will inform the audience as to TENA’s current impact on the Test, Training, and Evaluation community; and its expected future benefits to the range community and the warfighter.
TUTORIAL G (morning)
Title: Coping with Complex Systems Engineering at Levels of Products, Processes and Organizations
Instructor: Mahmoud Efatmaneshnik, The University of New South Wales
Engineering complex systems and New Product Development (NPD) are major challenges for contemporary engineering design and must be studied at three levels of: Products, Processes and Organizations (PPO). The science of complexity indicates that complex systems share a common characteristic: they are robust yet fragile. Complex and large scale systems are robust in the face of many uncertainties and variations; however, they can collapse, when facing certain conditions. This is so since complex systems embody many subtle, intricate and nonlinear interactions. If formal modelling exercises with available computational approaches are not able to assist designers to arrive at accurate predictions, then how can we immunize our large scale and complex systems against sudden catastrophic collapse?
This tutorial will be an investigation into complex product design. We will tackle the issue first by introducing a template and/or design methodology for complex product design. This template is an integrated product design scheme which embodies and combines elements of both design theory and organization theory; in particular distributed (spatial and temporal) problem solving and adaptive team formation are brought together. This design methodology harnesses emergence and innovation through the incorporation of massive amount of numerical simulations which determines the problem structure as well as the solution space characteristics.
Within the context of this design methodology three design methods based on measures of complexity will be presented. Complexity measures generally reflect holistic structural characteristics of systems. At the levels of PPO, we will correspondingly introduce, the Immunity Index (global modal robustness) as an objective function for solutions, the real complexity of decompositions, and the cognitive complexity of a design system. These three measures are helpful in immunizing the complex PPO from chaos and catastrophic failure.
In the end, a conceptual decision support system (DSS) for complex NPD based on the presented design template and the complexity measures will be introduced. This support system (IMMUNE) is represented by a Multi Agent Blackboard System, and has the dual characteristic of the distributed problem solving environments and yet reflecting the centralized viewpoint to process monitoring. IMMUNE advocates autonomous problem solving (design) agents that is the necessary attribute of innovative design organizations and/or innovation networks; and at the same time it promotes coherence in the design system that is usually seen in centralized systems.
TUTORIAL H (afternoon)
Title: Systems Thinking Tools for Systems Engineering Practice
Instructor: Alan McLucas, The University of New South Wales
Our understandings of the complex world in which we live are formed through our experiences and, in turn these become embodied in our mental models. Such models represent both explicit and implicit assumptions about a problem’s causes, its consequences and policies that might be effective in treating the problem. In systems engineering our mental models can strongly influence our ultimate system designs. This can be problematic if we selectively perceive information and incorrectly interpret meaning and relevance.
This tutorial presents a range of practical systems thinking tools which both complement and enable systems engineering practice. The application of systems thinking tools and techniques will be explained as will strategies for engaging stakeholders who have highly valuable knowledge and experience to contribute to a shared understanding of a problem, requirements or design options. The tutorial covers:
- How and why we often misperceive systems.
- Practical steps to making the most of human cognitive capabilities when dealing with complex systems.
- Techniques for eliciting stakeholders’ views, including dealing with conflicting views.
- Soft Systems Methodology: how to get inside human activity systems and really understand requirements. The relationship between SSM and requirements engineering: how SSM can be a powerful enabler of sound requirements engineering practice.
- Causal mapping: identifying the causal drivers and explaining how they are related through feedback.
- Strategies for thinking about how changes occur over time and how future developments can impact upon objectives.