MBSE FAQ: What are MBSE goals and best practices?

What are MBSE goals and best practices?

Question Variant(s): What the goals of MBSE?; What are the best practices of MBSE?

Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) processes should strive to meet or exceed the following process goals:

• Architecture-centric: The MBSE process must emphasize a precise and complete System Architecture Model (SAM) "blueprint", typically organized using an Architecture Framework (e.g., ISO/IEC 42010, DoDAF, TOGAF) with multiple Views/Viewpoints, as the primary work artifact throughout the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC);
• Requirements-driven: All System Analysis, System Design, and Implementation elements on the "Left Side" of the System V-Model must directly or indirectly trace to System Functional and Non-Functional Requirements;
• Test-driven: All System Test Cases on the "Right Side" of the System V-Model must exhaustively test the System Design and Implementation using black-box and white-box Test Cases at the Unit, Integration, and System levels;
• Support full SDLC with rigorous V&V: The MBSE process must provide comprehensive support of all SDLC phases (Requirements, System Analysis, System Design, Implementation, System Integration, Testing), including rigorous Verification & Validation (V&V);
• Scalable: The MBSE Process must scale recursively to accommodate Systems-of-Systems of arbitrary complexity;
• Simulatable: The MBSE process must be capable must be capable of Dynamic Simulation (a.k.a. Dynamic System Simulation) of all SysML Behavior diagrams (Activities, Sequences, State Machines) and Mathematical Modeling & Simulation (a.k.a. Mathematical ModSim, Mathematical M&S, Parametric Simulation) of all Parametric diagrams;
• Integrate SE & Agile Engineering best practices: The MBSE process must be capable of enhancing traditional Systems Engineering best practices with Model-Based improvements and integrating them with Agile Engineering best practices = Agile MBSE.

In addition, it is highly desirable that MBSE processes also achieve the following process goals:

• Straightforward & systematic: The MBSE process should be explained in a straightforward and systematic manner, so that it is easy for Systems Engineers to learn and apply;
• Promote the use of open standards: The MBSE process should support open standards for system architecture modeling and tool interoperability. These open standards include, but are not limited to, SysML, UML 2, XMI, and AP233. These open standards should be used to specify the System Architecture Model and to serve as a lingua franca among Systems Engineers and other stakeholders (Software Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Customers, etc.).