Title: System of systems modelling and simulation - an outlook and open issues

Authors: Andrew Kinder; Michael Henshaw; Carys Siemieniuch

Addresses: Engineering Systems of Systems (ESoS) Group, School of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering, Loughborough University, LE11 3TU, Loughborough, UK ' Engineering Systems of Systems (ESoS) Group, School of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering, Loughborough University, LE11 3TU, Loughborough, UK ' Engineering Systems of Systems (ESoS) Group, School of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering, Loughborough University, LE11 3TU, Loughborough, UK

Abstract: System of systems (SoS) engineering is an emerging sub-discipline, within which modelling and simulation is a key area. The failure of many SoS endeavours can be attributed to the inappropriate application of systems engineering processes, including modelling approaches. Selection of suitable modelling approaches is critical to ensuring representative models are created, ensuring reliable SoS analysis and prediction of emergent behaviour is possible. Essential to SoS modelling is the dynamic element, enabling the generation of emergent behaviour, appropriate approaches including; discrete event system specification, Petri nets, agent-based modelling and system dynamics. Bayesian belief networks, Markov models and game theory provide a static probabilistic approach, suitable for strategic, decision and risk models. Enterprise architecture frameworks and modelling languages are typically used for static modelling of SoS. A combination of static and dynamic approaches should be utilised, providing a range of perspectives, giving an insight into the complexity inherent in all SoS.

Keywords: system of systems; SoS modelling; system of systems engineering; SoSE; discrete event simulation; agent-based modelling; neural network; Petri nets; system dynamics; Bayesian belief networks; Markov models; enterprise architecture; game theory; surrogate models; decision tree; agent-based systems; multi-agent systems; MAS.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSE.2014.064835

International Journal of System of Systems Engineering, 2014 Vol.5 No.2, pp.150 - 192

Received: 26 Mar 2014
Accepted: 14 Jul 2014
Published online: 30 Sep 2014 *

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