Executable Architecture Modeling and Simulation Based on fUML

Abstract : The DoD Architecture Framework is now popularly used for describing overall requirements and architectural design of the system-of-systems (SoS). However, it is very hard to validate and verify the architecture products, as most of them are modeled with informal constructs. The paper proposes an approach of executable architecture modeling and simulation by introducing formal UML specification. Firstly, definitions of executable architecture are provided, upon which both structural and behavioral meta-models of SoS architecture are built by extending fUML meta models. Then, a simulation language is defined based on Process Algebras, and the semantics of emergent behavior of SoS is discussed. The executable models of a SoS architecture are therefore constructed through: (1) modeling the structures and behaviors of SoS, (2) translating the models into process terms and (3) specifying simulation rules upon the process terms. Since Process Algebras based executable tools are available over relevant research institutions, it is not difficult to build a simulation execution environment. Finally, a case study is used to illustrate the feasibility of the approach.