The TSS evaluation of the new OMG Systems Modeling Language (OMG SysML™) indicates that SysML adequately addresses systems engineers’ needs. It serves the purpose of providing systems engineers the constructs required for an effective systems analysis and design based on Model-Based Systems Engineering methods. SysML is also effective in specifying requirements, behavior, requirements allocation and traceability, including placing constraints on the system. SysML is a process and platform independent methodology. SysML re-uses some of the notations from UML 2.1 and provides additional extensions to satisfy the modeling language requirements. Unlike the traditional systems engineering approach, SysML allows systems engineers to build realistic models and simultaneously validate systems behavior without having to rely on costly prototypes.

SysML extends model-based engineering by providing systems engineers with the necessary constructs to capture requirements within the design model, which can then be used to validate the design artifacts. This capability provides a bi-directional traceability between deign artifacts and the requirements. In additional, SysML has a reduced set of formal constraints and semantics, which take less time to learn when compared to the Unified Modeling Language (UML). SysML design models can easily be translated into an executable model to perform behavioral analyses and trade studies. Furthermore, UML introduces software bias into the semantics, and lacks the necessary notations to satisfy systems engineers’ needs, which SysML fulfills.

Although employing SysML to modeling and design is still under study, this project proves the usability and value of SysML in systems engineering analysis and design efforts. In summary, the TSS team has found SysML to be a powerful and effective modeling language for systems engineers, and can bring systems engineering and software engineering efforts closer together than ever before.

View the Final Project Results including the Initial Proposal, Final Presentation, Final Report, and SysML models