INCOSE Enchantment: Model Curation - Key to Preserving and Sharing Model Libraries
Meeting Title: Model Curation - Key to Preserving and Sharing Model Libraries
Speaker(s): Trent Rich, Summit Technology Research Corporation (TRC)
Date: Wednesday,13 March 2024
Time: 16:45 - 18:00 US Mountain Time
Venue: Hybrid; registration required
Registration: Zoom link is provided in the meeting invitation; contact enchantment@incose.net to request the meeting invitation.
Abstract
This presentation discusses the problem of asset sharing and the need for a new standard. Knowledge and experience are gained during the execution of every project. This knowledge remains in the heads of the engineers, but often is not distributed more widely. In Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) projects, this knowledge can include problem solving techniques, algorithms, libraries of types, patterns, interfaces, components, etc. One of the ways to preserve this knowledge is by creating libraries of these reusable assets. For example, the newest version of Unified Architecture Framework (UAF) included a library developed by Mitre of 1200 different security controls defined in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standard 800-53r5. These controls can be referenced on projects to mitigate many common security risks. Patterns publicly provided as a curated, searchable, solution set library could be leveraged by projects and augmented over time, preserving their Intellectual Property (IP) and knowledge assets. While the compilation of these design patterns is useful, they need to be shared widely to be of any practical use. For a library to be of any use, people need to know where it is, be able to enter it, search through a catalog system, check out the elements that they need, and suggest new items to be added. We need a solution for a model library. Donna Rhodes from MIT has done heroic research on model curation. She sums up the current situation as follows: “Rouse (2015) stresses that the wealth of existing models is often not used because of a lack of knowledge of these resources and the difficulty in accessing them (Rouse, 2015). Lack of access to models, mistrust of models, and perception of legitimacy of models are all barriers in model reuse and longevity. According to Reymondet et al. (2016), model expertise is largely resident in individuals, and the ability to select and compose sets of models is typically limited to the original use. Modeling efforts are often duplicated across programs, and the individual programs may lack model experts preventing benefit from the collected wisdom of the enterprise (Rhodes & Ross, 2015). A question arises as to whether a model curation function at the enterprise level could lead to more effective use of models and digital assets at all levels.” (Rhodes, 2019) Hause (2014), defines how the OMG Reusable Asset Specification (RAS) was used to build an asset library to harvest, curate, and share SysML model assets to promote and enable model asset reuse. The OMG RAS was published in 2005 and provides a means of categorizing assets for reuse.
Speaker:
Matthew Hause is a Principal Consultant at SSI, a chair of the UAF group, a member of the OMG Architecture Board for 13 years, and a member of the OMG SysML specification team. He has been developing multi-national complex systems for over 45 years as a systems and software engineer. His roles have varied from project manager to developer. His role at SSI includes mentoring, sales presentations, standards development, conference presentations, specification of the UPDM profile and developing and presenting training courses. He has written over 100 technical papers on a variety of topics including architectural modeling, systems engineering, model-based engineering, human factors, safety critical systems development, product line engineering, SoS, systems and software development with UML, SysML and Architectural Frameworks such as DoDAF and MODAF. He has been a regular presenter at INCOSE, NDIA, the IEEE, BCS, the IET, the OMG, AIAA, DoD Enterprise Architecture, and many other conferences. He is a proud recipient of the INCOSE MBSE Propellor Hat Award.