A Formal Model-Based Approach to Engineering Systems-of-Systems

Systems-of-systems (SoS) are network-enabled synergistic collaborations between systems that are operationally and managerially independent, distributed, evolve dynamically and exhibit emergence. The design of dependable SoS requires modelbased approaches that permit description of contracts between constituent systems at interfaces in a SoS architecture, including functionality and interaction behaviour, and that permit verification of global behaviours. We describe an approach to formal model-based SoS engineering using complementary notations for functional, interaction and architectural aspects. A case study in modelling information flow in an emergency response SoS demonstrates the viability of the proposed approach and highlights a need for common semantic foundations. © 2012 Newcastle University. Printed and published by Newcastle University, Computing Science, Claremont Tower, Claremont Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, England. Bibliographical details FITZGERALD, J., BRYANS, J., PAYNE, R. A Formal Model-based Approach to Engineering Systems-of-Systems [By] J. Fitzgerald, J. Bryans, R. Payne Newcastle upon Tyne: Newcastle University: Computing Science, 2012. (Newcastle University, Computing Science, Technical Report Series, No. CS-TR-1338)