| System and software architectures are the foundation on which network centric communications platforms are constructed and must be defined early in the design process. If flaws lurk in these architectures well into a project, costly and time consuming redesign may be necessary. The capability to perform system and software architecture modeling and verification is enabled by recently available Model Driven Design tools. These tools provide standard based UML modeling capabilities that allow for software and system architecture design, as well as Department of Defense Architectural Framework (DoDAF) modeling capabilities for documenting system architecture and verifying operational scenarios. Models developed using these tools capture interface requirements, operational concepts, state machines and required operations. Therefore, these models can be executed. During execution, use cases and operational scenarios are simulated making it possible to verify the system and software behavior, performance, and responses to internal and external stimuli. Human Machine Interfaces can be prototyped and Graphical User Interfaces can be created to aid in exercising the models during execution and often convey a great deal about the “feel” and capabilities of the system, long before the system has been prototyped or produced. This paper describes the use of Model Driven Design tools to verify system and software architecture and operational concepts early in the project design process. |